Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called on the United States government to assist Nigeria in its fight against terrorism through cooperation rather than military intervention.
Adeleke made the appeal while commiserating with families of victims of recent attacks in northern Nigeria, stressing that the U.S. should play a supportive role in strengthening Nigeria’s internal security.
He described President Donald Trump’s remarks as a wake-up call for Nigeria to intensify its counterterrorism collaboration with international partners.
“We need our international partners to expand their support for Nigerian security agencies,” Adeleke said.
“Peaceful interface between Abuja and Washington holds the key rather than military intervention by the American government.”
Adeleke also commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its diplomatic engagement with Washington to ease rising tensions and address genuine western concerns.
“This is the time to unite as a nation and support national leadership to tackle threats against our citizens. We need peace, not war, to deepen our democracy and protect our people,” he added.
His remarks came after Trump on Sunday reiterated threats of possible U.S. military operations in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump hinted that air strikes or troop deployment were being considered, stating, “Could be, I envisage a lot of things.”
He also wrote on Truth Social that he had directed the Pentagon to prepare a “possible attack plan” for Nigeria, alleging that Christianity was facing “an existential threat” in the country.
In response, Presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala reaffirmed that Nigeria remains a strategic partner of the U.S. in the global fight against terrorism.
“Nigeria welcomes U.S. support to fight terrorism as long as it respects our territorial integrity,” Bwala told AFP.
He explained that Trump’s comments might be an attempt to prompt a high-level meeting between both leaders, adding that President Tinubu and Trump could soon meet to discuss shared security concerns.
Tinubu had earlier dismissed claims that Christians were being targeted more than other groups, asserting that Nigeria’s religious tolerance remains strong.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” Tinubu stated.
