Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, says the president foresaw the unfolding diplomatic tension between Nigeria and the United States before it became public.
In a statement shared on X on Sunday, Onanuga posted excerpts from Tinubu’s address to newly appointed service chiefs last Thursday, saying the president’s warning about “mutating security threats” showed he was “well ahead of the orchestrated game unfolding in America.”
Tinubu, in the address, told the service chiefs to deliver results and not excuses, pledging full government support in tackling emerging armed groups across the country. He cautioned that the threats facing Nigeria were evolving rapidly and required bold, innovative responses.
“Security threats are constantly evolving, constantly mutating. Of grave concern to our administration is the recent emergence of new armed groups in the North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South. We must not allow these new threats to fester. We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right in the head,” Tinubu declared in the excerpt shared by Onanuga.
The president urged the military hierarchy to deploy modern technology and strategic intelligence to stay ahead of insurgents. “I charge you to carry out your duties with patriotic zeal. Nigerians expect results, not excuses,” Tinubu said, promising full logistical and moral backing from the presidency.
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Onanuga’s remarks came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened possible military action against Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians. Trump, in a fiery post on Truth Social, accused the Nigerian government of “allowing the killing of Christians” and warned that the U.S. would halt all aid and assistance if the attacks continued.
“If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians,” Trump wrote, claiming he had instructed the Department of War to prepare for “possible action.”
The exchange has intensified international attention on Nigeria’s security challenges. However, Onanuga’s statement suggests Tinubu anticipated such external pressures and had already directed his commanders to act with urgency and innovation to restore peace nationwide.
