A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Chief Ben Adaji, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to designate individuals and groups opposing recent United States military action against terrorist targets in Nigeria as enemies of the nation.
Adaji made the call in Jalingo, Taraba State on Saturday, while reacting to criticisms by some Islamic clerics following reported US airstrikes on terrorist enclaves in parts of North-West Nigeria on Thursday evening.
According to him, public condemnation of the US action amounts to either “the height of hypocrisy” or an open admission of complicity in the prolonged violence that has plagued the country.
“Nigerians have continued to suffer untold hardship and huge losses due to the activities of these terrorists,” Adaji said. “The damage they have caused in this country is unquantifiable, whether in terms of lives lost, property destroyed, or the humiliation of Nigeria before the global community.”
The APC chieftain, who is a former House of Representatives candidate for Ankpa Federal Constituency in Kogi State, expressed surprise that any Nigerian would sympathise with armed groups responsible for years of killings and destruction.
“It is simply unfathomable that any rational human being should be sympathetic to their cause, except if they are complicit,” he said. “That is why I listened to some senior clerics condemning the actions of the US army with utter consternation. I believe every Nigerian should be grateful that the US has taken this bold step.”
Adaji urged President Tinubu to take a hard stance against critics of the airstrikes, alleging that such individuals may be sponsors or beneficiaries of terrorist activities. He also called for an end to negotiations with armed groups, advocating a decisive military response.
He further appealed to the United States to sustain and expand its military support to cover all regions affected by insecurity, including areas troubled by banditry and attacks by armed herders.
“This is the right time to put an end to this madness,” he said, expressing confidence that the US leadership would see the intervention through.
Describing himself as a security expert in human security and counter-terrorism, Adaji also called on the President and the National Security Adviser to ensure the public prosecution of individuals identified as supporters of terrorist groups.
“The actions of terrorists are an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty,” he said. “Any individual or group condemning the US airstrikes should be regarded as an enemy of the country.”
Adaji questioned why insecurity, which he said has claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed property worth billions of naira, should be politicised.
“Being a religious leader does not place anyone above the law,” he said. “Both Christians and Muslims have suffered from the activities of these criminals. There is no need to dialogue with foreign elements waging war against Nigeria’s sovereignty.”
He also urged Nigerian security agencies to remain steadfast in defending citizens and protecting the country’s territorial integrity.
While commending the efforts of security personnel, Adaji called on the federal government to provide full support and cooperation to what he described as genuine international interventions aimed at restoring peace and safeguarding the dignity of Nigerians.
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