Trump Is Not Invading Nigeria But Helping To Sweep Away Terrorists, Bandits Says Bolaji Akinyemi

By Frank Oshanugor

As many Nigerians speak ambiguously on American President, Donald Trump’s threat to put an end to genocide against Christians in Nigeria; a former External Affairs Minister, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi has clarified Trump’s intention, declaring that the US President is not coming to militarily invade Nigeria, but to help us put an end to the age-long terrorism, banditry and such related vices.

Speaking on ARISE NEWS “The Morning Show” on Tuesday, Akinyemi said those who did not understand Trump’s position were thinking that America was coming to destabilize Nigeria through military might. This is not correct, he emphasized.

According to him, America, a global leader has observed for some years the increasing state of mass killings in the Northern part of Nigeria and felt that since Nigeria’s leaderships over the years have not been able to stem the tide of such heinous killings which began with the killing of Christians and destruction of churches; it was time for America to step in as a super power.

The former minister, a cerebral personality versed in international relations, clearly declared that “there is genocide against Christians in Nigeria even though the mass killings have now cut across every religion” while the national leadership has not shown capacity to put an end to the killings.

Akinyemi unequivocally supported the position of Redeemed Christian Church of God’s General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye who a few days ago pleaded with Donald Trump to give Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration about 100 days grace to fix the insecurity challenges before taking steps to act in Nigeria as intended.

He agreed that the situation on ground actually called for America’s intervention but joined Adeboye to plead to Trump for a little time. To achieve this, Akinyemi urged Tinubu and his administration to take advantage of the appeals to Trump to act decisively by ensuring that the security forces are put on their toes to flush out the terrorists and other criminal elements.

He added that one should be living in a fool’s paradise to contemplate of confronting a global power like America under the leadership of Trump. With benefits of hindsight as global scholar and diplomat, the professor urged those condemning Trump’s threat to weigh the options on ground and decide which is better.

Specifically, he pointed out that the two available options are (1) To cooperate with Trump and allow him help us to eliminate the terrorists, bandits or (2) Prevent Trump from intervening and allow the genocide and other killings to continue in Nigeria?

He called on President Tinubu to show capacity and leadership at this critical time in Nigeria’s political history as the issue on hand is beyond political rhetorics.

On Monday, a former Director with the Department of State Services (DSS) Barr. Mike Ejiofor in ARISE NEWS interview had made similar call, urging President Tinubu’s administration to step up effort in prosecuting and convicting terrorists and other criminal elements without popularizing their arrest in other to show the world of the administration’s seriousness in checking the glaring insecurity in the country.

Ejiofor cautioned that less publicity should be given to the arrest of terrorists as such publicity give some courage and embolden their colleagues to strike more.

According to him, “if more publicity is given to the arrest of criminals, the more potent other criminals become. Let us be more interested in prosecution and conviction of the criminals particularly the ring leaders” he advised.