Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has charged the Federal Government of Nigeria to see the military action threat issued by the President of the United States of America as a wake-up call for a renewed fight against insecurity in the country.
Also, the governor called for renewed diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the United States following Trump’s comment that Christians are being killed in record numbers in Nigeria, a claim dismissed by the Federal Government through multiple statements.
In a statement issued on Monday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke urged both nations to build on their longstanding partnership to address emerging security concerns in a peaceful manner.
“I appeal to the Presidency of the United States of America to support Nigeria in fully implementing the recently developed national security strategy. The new strategy is comprehensive and capable of taking on the monster of banditry and terroristic killings in many parts of the country,” he said.
The governor commiserated with the families of victims affected by insecurity in the northern region, describing the situation as a national tragedy requiring international cooperation.
According to Adeleke, the recent US position should serve as “a wake-up call to rigorously implement new security measures and forceful counter-terrorism actions in partnership with diplomatic allies”.
He emphasised that Nigeria needed support from its international partners, particularly the United States, to overcome the ongoing challenges posed by terrorism and armed violence.
“Nigeria suffers from unfortunate killings across Northern Nigeria, which have claimed the lives of many innocent citizens. We believe a high-powered engagement at the presidential level will particularly open up to the American government the ongoing security operations, successes and challenges Nigeria is facing in the fight against terrorism,” he noted.
The Osun governor appealed for diplomatic dialogue rather than confrontation, stressing that “peaceful interface between Abuja and Washington holds the key rather than military intervention by the American government.”
Governor Adeleke also commended the Nigerian Presidency for its diplomatic efforts aimed at easing tensions and addressing the genuine concerns raised by Western partners, especially the United States.
He urged political leaders across the country to rally behind the federal government’s ongoing efforts to safeguard the nation’s territorial integrity and protect its citizens from insecurity.
“This is the time to unite as a nation to support the national leadership to frontally address internal and external threats for the protection of the citizenry,” the governor stated.
