Prime Business Africa
Finally, Donald Trump launches his bombs on Nigeria!
By ETIM ETIM
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn the dead of the night of December 25, the United States launched targeted missiles strikes against ISIS terrorists in Jabo community in Sokoto State, making good President Donald Trump’s November 1 threat to strike at terrorist camps in the country. Casualty figures are not known as at this hour, but Trump has confirmed in his social media post that said the strikes were ‘’perfect’’. More of such strikes would be launched in other parts of northern Nigeria in the weeks and months ahead. The Tomahawk missile, launched from a warship in the Gulf of Guinea, likely traveled over 1,600 kilometers. It is a perfect Christmas gift to the long-suffering Nigerian people who have been victims of terrorism for decades. The action came about two months after the US President had issued threats on November 1 to attack terrorists’ positions in Northern Nigeria if Nigeria had not taken steps to tackle insecurity.
Since then, Nigeria and US have engaged in frenetic diplomatic contacts to agree on the framework for the military operations. Both the US Department of War, AFRICOM as well as the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have stated that these strikes were executed in collaboration between Nigeria and the US. In preparations for these strikes, the US have been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria from Accra, Ghana, since late November. These flights are part of a broader efforts to gather intelligence on terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State of West Africa Province). Many Nigerians are delighted that President Trump has made good his promise to intervene and assist Nigeria fight terrorism.
Speaking on BBC Friday morning, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar stressed that President Bola Tinubu gave the go-ahead for the US strikes. “Now that the US is cooperating, we would do it jointly, and we would ensure, just as the President emphasized yesterday before he gave the go-ahead, that it must be made clear that it is a joint operation, and it is not targeting any religion nor simply in the name of one religion or the other,” the minister said, adding, “We are a multi-religious country, and we are working with partners like the US to fight terrorism and safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians”. The emphasis on the word ‘’collaboration’’ by the Nigerian side is meant to placate Northerners who have been implicitly opposed to any US action even though they‘ve borne the brunt of terrorist attacks for close to two decades now.
But if it is such a collaborative effort, why are we not hearing directly from the Nigerian President? In such a joint military operation, both commanders-in-chief should be visible and engaging directly with their respective citizens. But in this case, while Tinubu is silent, Trump is speaking directly to the world. He was quick to make the announcement of the strikes as soon as the missiles were launched. It must be a humbling moment for the Nigerian leader. For over 16 years, the government has failed to protect Nigerians from terrorists. Many have murdered as terrorists operate from one part of the country to another, attacking and murdering innocent people. The Tinubu administration has particularly appeared too indolent in dealing with the security crisis. The capture and murder of Gen. Musa Uba, commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade in Domboa, Borno State, on November 14, after his convoy was ambushed along the Burum-Kubua axis of the Damboa-Biu Road, by terrorists exemplified just how bad the situation has deteriorated. It’s the first time such a high-ranking officer was ambushed, captured and murdered during operation, giving credence to speculations that there are saboteurs within the armed forces.
Even with the deteriorating security situation, there was a general feeling that the administration was more obsessed with the politics of 2027 than governance. Nigerians were particularly enraged by the actions of praise singers like Femi Fani-Kayode and Reno Omokiri who tried to create impressions that all was well. The National Assembly which should have redirected the administration’s attention from politicking to security, has been too pliant and supple. The leadership at the two chambers has been more interested in singing the praises of the executive than holding it to account. These missile strikes in Sokoto and those that would be launched in other northern states are therefore a positive development in the war against terrorism which the Nigerian military has been waging over the years.
Although the military action is termed as a collaborative effort between the US and Nigeria, there is no doubt that the US is at the driver’s seat here. When President Trump first issued his threats on November 1, there was a lot of pushback from many uninformed commentators and TV analysts. They claimed that the US was out to violate Nigeria’s sovereignty and possibly remove Tinubu from office. President Trump’s repeated use of the phrase ‘’Christian genocide’’ rankled many politicians and Northern elites who argued that Muslims are also victims of terrorism. My argument then – and now – is that a US intervention is vital to the defeat of terrorism. With two US Congressional hearings on the matter and visits of two US delegations from Washington, DC, it was obvious that Trump was serious. Many persons have wondered why the target of the strike is a village in Sokoto State and not Borno which has been the epicenter of Boko Haram. The answer is simple. Since these strikes were preceded by several recognizance flights, it should be obvious that the US has collected sufficient intelligence to determine the right target. Terrorists typically assemble at where they consider safe heavens and move in large numbers to their targets. The US military knows what it is doing.
