Trump vs Nigeria: The Drama

By Jetevu Martins

As the issue of Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and threat of possible military action continues to trend, I have read views and opinions by well-meaning Nigerians and some political bigots whom I would like to call the ‘actors’. I must admit that these views are quite interesting especially to the unbiased minds. Trust me, some have also taken the issue out of context. By reading between lines, it is not quite dificult to decify the intentions of each writer. The gruesome killings of christians and non-christians in some parts of the North are undeniable and worrisome realities that have attracted global attention for the past decades. More worrisome, is the inability of past administrations as well as the present one to curb these atrocities. The international community couldn’t interfere for fear of breaching ‘national sovereighty’.

However, when Trump took a stand and threatened withdrawal of aid, sanctions and possible military action on Nigeria, if these killings were not addressed, the actors, majority of whom have advocated for government urgent action in the past, are quick to show their ‘solidarity’ to our dear government. While some are just being phylosophical in giving academic definitions of the situation in Nigeria, others in government have claimed that these killings are ‘exaggerated’ or ‘malicious fabrications by the opposition. Although, these are nicer discriptions of the situation. The previous administration could have termed them ‘mere social media propaganda’. Whether exaggerated, malicious fabrications or social media propaganda, the government, including those who are refuting these realities have inadvertently admitted them in one way or the other. The drama continues.

One of our major actors is Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode or FFK for short, who has not been very visible in recent times. Characteristically, FFK in his role performance, has maintained that the US president was trying to provoke crisis by brandishing Nigerians as killers of Christian and to label our country with genocide tag and create a crisis in Nigeria. “We will fight it out if the US invades Nigeria.” He said. Fair enough! In the days of Lai Mohammed, “we would send missiles.” At this, one would wonder if FFK has forgotten in a hurry, his keynote address on 22nd June 2018 during the launching of a book titled “The Jihad in Nigerian Politics and the Plight of Northern Nigerian Christians” by Rev. Samuel Ayuba Kantiok in Abuja. This actor was categorical in refering to these atrocities as an agenda to wipe out christianity and the overwhelming majority of ethnic minorities that are not prepared to line up behind the Fulani in the North. Maybe, the atrocities referred to then are not genocidal since genocide is the keyword here.

Another round character in the play is Mr. Omoyele Sowore. Although he has not been quite supportive of the present administration yet, he described Trump’s threat as “perilous” and warned against celebrating it, regardless of our religious background.

Then comes our US-based brother and social commentator, Reno Omokri. He was quite deplomatic in his reaction, merely calling on the international community to support Nigeria in achieving its security objectives. Of course you can’t live in Mecca and curse the Prophet. But expectedly, that would not end without expressing his concern over Peter Obi’s silence amid the ongoing controversy. This ‘social actor’ described Peter Obi’s silence as “deeply suspicious and unbecoming of a national leader. No surprise!

Although the human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana admitted that christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria as thousands of Christians are being killed by the radical Islamists, he accused the United States President, Donald Trump, of lying to the world with his claims on the genocidal killing of Christians in Nigeria. But the debate is not on genocide. Is it? His junior colleague, Mr. Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation, just advised Trump to broaden his sources of information on Nigeria’s security situation and deepen cooperation with the Nigerian government to tackle terrorism, even though also maintains that Christians were not specifically targeted for killing in Nigeria, contrary to Trump’s claims. That was philosophically deplomatic!

But the drama gets really interesting when the major victim-The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN dismissed claims of an ongoing Christian genocide in Nigeria claiming that they are peddled by foreign agents. Although CAN admitted that killings were going on in the country, the attacks were not against Christians alone. CAN said ”Those foreign interests have a right to poke their noses into what’s going on in our system, but we also have a right to report things as they are”. Why cry more than the bereaved?

Now, what is the wailing for? What has Donald Trump really said? Why so much fuss about his speech?

“If the Nigeria government continues to allow the killings of christians, the US will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria. We are going to do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about and may very well go into that now-disgraced country gun-a-blazing

to completely wipe out the islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities. I am hereby instructing our Department of war to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast,vicious and sweet just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians.”

Since the emergence of these religious extremists, the US has been one of Nigeria’s biggest security partners,giving aid, humanitarian funding, supplying arms and intelligence in addition to counter-terrorism training, logistic supplies etc, to help Nigeria defeat these Islamic jihadists. Where are we today? What is our scorecard in the fight against terrorism? Killings and abductions of children continue, women are regularly raped, villages are being wiped out, churches are attacked and burnt down, farmers attacked in their farms, soldiers are ambushed. Despite billions of dollars invested into the Nigerian millitary, the Nigerian army remains the most under-equipped. Have we not heard reports of procurement scandals, emezzled allowances, weapons meant for our soldiers ending up in the hands of the terrorists? Do we really have any genuine intention to win the war against terrorism? Today the war against terrorism has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry where peace would ruin business.

Therefore, the threat is not from Trump but from us.