Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has cautioned that it would be a serious diplomatic violation for the United States to carry out any military action in Nigeria without the clear approval of the Federal Government.
Speaking during an interview with BBC World Service on Monday, Bwala reaffirmed that Nigeria remains a fully sovereign nation and that any form of external intervention in its internal security matters must be rooted in partnership and respect for its territorial integrity.
His remarks followed US President Donald Trump’s latest statement naming Nigeria a “country of particular concern” over alleged persecution of Christians. Trump had warned that Nigeria could lose US aid if the government failed to address insecurity and further hinted that he might deploy America’s “Department of War” against terrorist groups targeting Christians.
Bwala dismissed the suggestion of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, stressing that insecurity affects all citizens regardless of religion or ethnicity. He described Trump’s comments as “largely misinterpreted” and expressed optimism that the issue would be properly addressed when President Tinubu meets his US counterpart in the coming days.
He praised Trump for previously authorising the sale of military hardware to Nigeria, describing the move as a gesture of goodwill that boosted the country’s counterterrorism operations.
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“We are grateful to President Donald Trump because during his first term, he approved arms sales that strengthened Nigeria’s fight against insurgency. In his second term, he has again shown interest in supporting the fight against Boko Haram, which we welcome, but such efforts must rely on credible intelligence, not isolated reports or social media narratives,” Bwala said.
Responding to Trump’s threat of possible US military intervention, Bwala maintained that any such move would only be legitimate if carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian government.
“If it’s a joint operation with Nigeria, that’s acceptable. But diplomatically, it is wrong to invade a sovereign nation without collaboration, especially one that remains a strategic partner in the fight against insecurity. Unilateral intervention only happens when there is proof that a government is complicit in a crisis. That is certainly not the case in Nigeria,” he added.
