Former military head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has called on Nigerians to put aside their differences and stand together in defence of the country’s sovereignty. He made the call following recent comments by former US President Donald Trump, which he described as a “grave threat to the country’s hard-won unity.”
Trump, over the weekend, reignited controversy over Nigeria’s security challenges after he redesignated the country as a “country of particular concern,” a label under US law for nations accused of violating religious freedom.
In a statement released on Friday, Trump claimed that Nigeria was experiencing a “Christian genocide” and accused the government of failing to protect Christians from attacks by what he called “Islamic terrorists.”
He went further to threaten military action, saying:
“The USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country ‘guns-a-blazing’, to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists killing Christians.”
The remark, unprecedented in tone toward a sovereign African nation, has drawn global attention and concern. It also suggested the possibility of direct US military intervention in Nigeria, one of Washington’s long-standing allies in Africa.
Speaking in a telephone interview from London with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, Abdulsalami warned that Trump’s words could endanger Nigeria’s peace if not carefully managed.
He urged Nigerians to remain united, saying the situation calls for “unity, wisdom, and diplomacy” rather than anger or division.
“Unity, wisdom, and diplomacy must take precedence over division and pride at this critical moment,” he said.
Abdulsalami also appealed to the United States to support Nigeria in tackling insecurity instead of issuing threats. According to him, “strategic dialogue” is the best approach to engage Washington and de-escalate the tension.
He emphasised that Nigeria should use quiet diplomacy to address any misunderstandings and ensure that both countries continue to work together on shared security goals.
