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By Onyeka Chukwudi

Anyone who has a problem with someone dealing with terrorists on their behalf when they are themselves clearly incapacitated is either a masquerading enemy, an ignorant “riler”, or a self-conflicted person. Successive Nigerian governments have colossally and embarrassingly failed when it comes to the security of lives and property. This current government has also successfully played politics, shown gross incompetence, and has used very deceptively destructive media PR on the reportage of the killings in the North.

The level of brigandage and lawlessness has been successfully “managed” away from public view–but thank God for organizations like Amnesty International and Global Christian Relief (GCR) that have respectively told us that at least 10,000 deaths have occurred in the North by the hands of armed terrorist groups between May 2023 and May 2025 alone, and that about 4,000 Christians are targeted and killed every year.

These deaths are a manifest indictment on our government’s competence in the area of security. We are also tired of the unending communications/media theatrics and the clever-by-half political statements that keep explaining away the situation. We are not dundies! Unfortunately the mainstream media just seems to have simply kow-towed.

The reality is that until we have true electoral reforms, the caustic mediocrity in our body politic is not likely to abate because politicians don’t suffer any consequences for their atrocious misbehaviours, and where there is no deterrence lawlessness will prevail!

But let us come back to the issues. For anyone to deny that there is a calculated attempt to overwhelm, subvert, annihilate, and take captive the predominantly Christian populations of Benue and Plateau states and their lands is to tell a blatant lie! Southern Kaduna has suffered similar fates, can we also deny that? You cannot sincerely say before God or to your honest self that you are not aware of these wicked realities. Those who keep silent in the face of these wicked happenings or try to downplay them are in themselves also wicked. I don’t mean to attack anyone, I don’t do such things, but this is the only truth. It is pure hogwash and dishonesty to deny these things! If you are truly unaware, then such ignorance is deliberate and nothing short of wicked. Some of those who openly said they brought in these terrorists still walk around freely today despite the much touted heavy security reports from the state security service (SSS).

Where our own government has manifestly and consistently betrayed us, you can just imagine the relief we felt knowing that Trump was willing to deal with these marauding terrorists. And the U.S always speaks based on intelligence. Yes, we are all aware of what the U.S has done in the past after so-called assistances, but I also know that Trump has adopted a different style and approach to interventions, especially where it is unsolicited assistance for a vulnerable group like Christian populations and in general against terrorist groups.

I am not ashamed or afraid to say I am happy we have someone willing to help since our government is very unwilling. What other options do we have? President Tinubu should take Trump’s statement as an opportunity to get the necessary backing to fight the sinister elements behind these marauding terrorists!

* Mr. Onyeka Chukwudi, a businessman wrote from Ibadan.