Governors of the South-West states, alongside those of Kogi and Kwara states, have been advised to prepare for the possible security consequences that could arise from a proposed United States military strike on terrorist cells in Nigeria. The warning was issued in a statement on Friday by the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements (AYDM), signed by its General Secretary, Poloola Ajayi, and Publicity Secretary, Suleiman Sanusi.
The group’s caution follows the recent threat by US President Donald Trump, who said in a post on his Truth Social platform last week that Christianity in Nigeria was facing an “existential threat” from radical Islamist groups. Mr Trump pledged that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening,” asserting that his administration would be “ready, willing and able to protect our great Christian population around the world.”
AYDM expressed concern that such a US strike could dislodge terrorists from their hideouts in the North, potentially forcing them to migrate towards the industrial South-West region, thereby escalating insecurity in the area. The group stated that those invoking Nigeria’s sovereignty to oppose the US proposal had ignored the fact that the country’s leaders had long undermined that sovereignty through corruption, electoral malpractice, and alleged complicity in terrorism.
The Alliance stated: “It is obvious that Nigeria has no power to stop the proposed US strike. Unfortunately, the tradition of funding proxy protests and propaganda has no effect in this case.” The group advised that the most prudent course of action for government at the state and national levels is to “prepare for the consequences and manage the situation in a way that preserves the dignity of the Yoruba nation.”
While acknowledging the mass killings of Christians in Nigeria are true, AYDM added that thousands of Yoruba and Middle Belt Muslims have also been victims of violent extremism. The group also accused some political and religious leaders in Yorubaland of hypocrisy for opposing the US proposal without offering credible alternatives, stating: “They do not care about the mass killing of their people. They have no conscience.” AYDM urged South-West governors to collaborate with Yoruba self-determination groups in intelligence gathering, data collation, and community defence to protect indigenous territories from further terrorist incursions.
