Trump Threat: NSA, Service Chiefs Meet
The National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Monday met with service chiefs and heads of security and intelligence agencies over the decision of US President, Donald Trump, to move against Nigeria, following allegations of Christian genocide in the country.
This is even as the government of Chad yesterday announced the immediate closure of its borders with Nigeria, attributing it to security concerns, following reports of alleged US military plans over Christian killings and genocide in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, yesterday called for renewed diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the United States, while the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, blamed the Federal Government for failing to implement state police to solve the security problem in the country.
The presidential candidate of Labour in 2023 elections, Peter Obi, said the designation of Nigeria as Country of Particular Concerns, CPC, was a consequence of lack of competent and committed leadership, as well as poor, imprudent deployment of available resources.
Experts in international diplomacy also described Trump’s threat of military action as one that could stoke more violence and erode investor confidence.
Ribadu’s meeting with the service chiefs, which held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, NCTC, Abuja, followed reports of a directive by U.S. President Donald Trump to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria.
Sources disclosed that the meeting, which began in the afternoon, assessed the implications of Trump’s statement.
The source said the NSA convened the session to coordinate a unified national security response and review intelligence assessments on the potential fallout of the US president’s pronouncement.
The outcome of the meeting is expected to be communicated through official channels of the NSA office.
Recall that Trump had last weekend, warned that should the Nigerian government fail to protect Christians from Islamist militant groups, he will not hesitate to take military action against Nigeria.
Similarly, late Sunday night, Trump repeated his threat of a military operation in Nigeria over alleged killing of Christians.
Asked by reporters aboard Air Force One if he was considering US troops on the ground in Nigeria or air strikes, he replied: “Could be, I mean, a lot of things — I envisage a lot of things.
“They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen.’’
Trump had in an explosive post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, said he asked the Pentagon to map out a possible plan of attack in Nigeria, one day after warning that Christianity is “facing an existential threat” in Africa’s most populous country.
In the post, he said if Nigeria failed to stem the killings, the United States will attack and “it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our Cherished Christians.”
In its immediate reaction to the US threat, one of Nigeria’s immediate neighbours, Chad, has announced immediate closure of its borders with Nigeria.
Military sources in N’djamena which houses the headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force, MNJTF, confirmed yesterday that President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno ordered a complete military lockdown along the Nigerian border.
This is after intelligence suggested that terrorist elements from northern Nigeria were preparing to flee into Chadian territory.
The sources said the Chadian army had been placed on full alert, with troops and armoured vehicles deployed across key border corridors linking the two countries.
The president was quoted as warning that “no armed group or foreign force will be allowed to enter Chadian soil under any disguise.”
The move comes amid heightened regional tension and growing speculation over America’s alleged military activities in parts of West Africa.
Security sources reiterated that the closure is a preventive measure to safeguard Chadian sovereignty and prevent possible infiltration by armed groups exploiting regional instability.