A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Segun Sowunmi, has criticised what he described as the late intervention of the international community in Nigeria’s prolonged battle against terrorism, following recent United States airstrikes on militant groups operating in the North-West.
Naijaonpoint reports that Sowunmi made the remarks on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics while reacting to reports that American forces carried out targeted strikes against terrorist elements in parts of the country.
According to the PDP stalwart, global powers with advanced surveillance and military capabilities had sufficient resources to intervene much earlier but failed to act until the situation deteriorated significantly.
“I felt that the world came in a little bit too late. The security resources available to the world suggest that they have eyes in the skies already, and many countries have the capability,” he said.
He argued that Nigeria had been left largely on its own for years despite the worsening security situation, noting that only the United States appeared willing to act decisively at a critical moment.
“So, you must have to thank the United States that when the chips were really down, Britain, which should ordinarily have a bigger interest, didn’t say anything.
“China, which has also been active here with various projects, said nothing. America said something, and Donald Trump said, ‘This is getting too much; we are going to do something,’” Sowunmi added.
Despite welcoming international collaboration, Sowunmi stressed that the killing of terrorists should not be celebrated, describing the entire situation as deeply painful for Nigerians.
He likened the tragedy to watching misguided children being lost to violence and extremism.
“Thankfully, he (Trump) didn’t just come into the country without our security infrastructure. Otherwise, if he had stayed in the Gulf of Guinea and fired missiles without consulting the Nigerian government and people, what military capabilities do we even have for deterrence?” Sowunmi asked.
“I think Nigerians, both Muslims and Christians, need to understand this is not a happy moment,” he said.
The PDP chieftain further advised the Federal Government to confront terrorism strictly as a criminal enterprise, rather than framing it along ethnic or religious lines, which he warned could deepen national divisions.
According to him, unity across religious and ethnic boundaries is critical to ending the insurgency and restoring peace.
Naijaonpoint reports that on Christmas Day, United States President Donald Trump announced that American forces had conducted deadly strikes against Islamic State militants in north-western Nigeria.
Trump vowed to sustain military action if the group continued attacks on Christians, describing the situation as a “genocide” and claiming that the violence had reached unprecedented levels.
The strikes followed the United States’ decision on October 31 to designate Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern”, a move that also came with visa restrictions on Nigerians.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed the operation, stating that it was carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian government as part of structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States, aimed at combating terrorism and violent extremism across the country.