Meanwhile, the United States recently designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged violations of religious freedom and the persecution of Christians.
Erstwhile lawmaker, Kabiru Marafa, on Wednesday, threw his support for the United States (US) President Donald Trump’s recent threat of a potential military strike in Nigeria, insisting that the threat could compel authorities to take tougher action against insecurity.
New Telegraph recalls that Marafa, who represented Zamfara Central in the Senate from 2011 to 2019, made this remark during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
According to him, Trump’s statements had once again drawn global attention to Nigeria’s security challenges, particularly attacks on Christian communities, which have visibly put the nation at the eye of the storm amid the battle against terrorist elements and an imminent incursion by the United States.
“I strongly support the President of America, Donald Trump, for issuing that threat,” he said, insisting that he disagreed with Nigerians who criticised the former U.S. leader’s comments on the grounds of national sovereignty.
READ ALSO:
“I differ with a lot of Nigerians because most of them look at it from the perspective of sovereignty and patriotism, which I also subscribe to. But of what importance is sovereignty to a dead man?” he asked.
Recalls Trump had, last month, directed the Pentagon to begin preparing plans for possible action in Nigeria, accusing the Nigerian government of failing to stop what he described as the persecution of Christians.
In a social media post, Trump warned that the U.S. would cut all aid to Nigeria if the killings persisted, adding that Washington “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
He claimed to have instructed the “Department of War” to prepare for potential strikes, saying any attack “will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians.”
Marafa maintained that while national sovereignty is important, the protection of human life should be the government’s primary responsibility. He added that Trump’s posture had increased pressure on Nigerian authorities to respond more decisively.
