The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, has criticised US President Donald Trump over his recent comments labelling Nigeria a “disgraced country,” calling the statement offensive and undiplomatic. Reacting in a viral video that circulated widely on Friday, Mr Jibrin condemned the threat of military intervention, saying it violated diplomatic norms and international law.
Mr Trump had reportedly designated Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ and threatened military action, posting that the US “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-ablazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists.” Deputy Senate President Jibrin strongly objected to the language, stating: “But for now, for the president of the United States to come in and say, ‘Oh, you are doing this and we are going to attack you, and Nigeria is a disgraced country’ — this is quite unacceptable.”
Mr Jibrin stressed that Mr Trump’s words were inconsistent with the values America claims to uphold, insisting that no foreign leader had the right to issue military threats without due process. He maintained: “It’s against international law. Whatever you feel about our country, follow the legal route. Go to the United Nations, get a resolution there, and then anything can come later. To bypass that route is quite unacceptable. It’s un-American.”
The Deputy Senate President concluded by urging Mr Trump to retract the statement and apologise to Nigeria, adding that the country would not be cowed by the rhetoric. “We are not scared to say the truth. We are not scared of telling Trump the truth. If he were here, I would tell him he has gone against international law and that the route he’s taking is not the best one to take,” he added, urging the US to pursue diplomatic engagement rather than threats.
