Dare Babalola
A former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi, has expressed disappointment with President Bola Tinubu’s handling of national security, stating that more needs to be done to address the ongoing challenges.
Insecurity has continued to ravage the country with various parts experiencing heightened levels of violence, kidnapping, and terrorist attacks, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the Tinubu administration in addressing the issues. Despite efforts to tackle the menace, the situation seems to have worsened, with the citizens growing increasingly anxious about their safety.
The high level of insecurity has led to widespread displacement, economic hardship, and a general sense of unease among Nigerians, sparking debates about the government’s response to the crisis.
The relationship between Nigeria and the United States hit a new low recently when the US President, Donald Trump, labelled Nigeria as a country of particular concern.
Trump’s remark was seen as a shocking indictment of Nigeria’s security situation and economic prospects, and was perceived as a major diplomatic setback for the country.
The situation escalated when Trump threatened to invade Nigeria, citing the country’s alleged persecution of Christians and failure to address security concerns and cooperate with international partners.
The Federal Government has, however, denied the allegations, with officials emphasising that the claims are misleading and don’t reflect the country’s reality.
In one of the latest incidents, gunmen stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi State, abducting 25 female students and killing the Vice Principal, Hassan Makuku.
In another incident, Brigadier-General Musa Uba was killed by terrorists after being captured in Borno State. The Islamic State West Africa Province claimed responsibility for his execution, stating that Uba was taken alive during a deadly ambush of a military convoy.
On Tuesday, the Kwara State Police Command confirmed that suspected bandits killed at least two people and injured another during an attack on a parish of the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku.
The worshippers were attacked during a special service with the gunmen opening fire on them before abducting the pastor and an unspecified number of congregants.
Asked if President Tinubu was doing enough in terms of national security, Farounbi exclusively told Newstellers.ng, “Unfortunately, no, because I thought the threat that comes (from Trump) would serve as a wakeup call on the Nigerian government, the military and security agencies to rise up and reenergise the country’s security effort.
“But it will appear that even since that threat, security maintenance has deteriorated. Barely a week after, there was the killing of some Christians in the North-Central, kidnapping of school children, and our troops were ambushed and they killed a resourceful Brigadier-General.
“There must be something wrong, either with our intelligence gathering or intelligence protection. I don’t think we are doing enough to justify the denial we are making in the face of Trump’s allegations. I believe we can do better.”
Reacting to Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern, the former envoy faulted the government’s handling of the escalating violence, particularly against Christians.
He added that the American government was acting within its right, stating, “Well, what is going on is simply that America is following their own constitution. They have within their own laws an Act that enables them to declare any country where they think that there is intolerance of religion, freedom of religion, or freedom of worship, a country of particular concern.
“They have within their own laws that ability to declare a country where they think that the state is collaborating or the state is involved in the decimation of a particular religious faith.
“That was what America has done, and they didn’t just wake up one morning to say it.”
He also noted that the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi, Most Revd Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, was invited by the US Congress’ Foreign Relations Committee in March 2024 to report on the murder and assassination of Christians in Benue State, where he presented a catalogue of atrocities, including killings, which went uncontested by the Nigerian government.
Farounbi criticised Nigeria’s lack of response, stating that the government’s silence made it appear complicit in the violence. He emphasised that denying the obvious only fuels accusations of aiding and abetting terrorism.
He, however, stressed that the violence was not limited to Christians, noting that liberal Muslims were also being targeted, with mosques being attacked.
Farounbi added, “Everything that happens in Nigeria is now in the public domain, reported by international news agencies. Denying the obvious makes us appear to be collaborators with what the American government is saying – that the government is aiding and abetting the killing of Christians by inaction or protecting terrorists.
“It’s not just Christians who are being killed; liberal Muslims are also targeted. Mosques have been attacked, but nobody deserves to be killed because of their faith. The government has prosecuted over 700 terrorists, but this wasn’t made public, making it hard to assess their actions.”
