China, EU, Russia won’t fight US because of Nigeria — Prof. Akinyemi

A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has said that despite their public expressions of solidarity, countries like China, the European Union and Russia would not go to war with the United States of America because of Nigeria. He said this while reacting to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to launch a […]

A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has said that despite their public expressions of solidarity, countries like China, the European Union and Russia would not go to war with the United States of America because of Nigeria.

He said this while reacting to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to launch a “guns blazing” military intervention in Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians, a claim the Nigerian government has strongly denied.

Speaking on Arise News, Prof. Akinyemi said the reality of global power politics makes it unlikely for any country to confront Washington militarily on Nigeria’s behalf.

He said the statements of support from world powers should not be mistaken for a willingness to go to war with the United States, explaining that no nation would sacrifice its strategic interests for Nigeria.

He said the real issue was not the threats from Trump, but Nigeria’s own internal failures. He added that the Tinubu administration must show the will and capacity to defeat insurgents and restore national unity.

“The real question is: what should the Tinubu administration be doing? It must show determination and capacity to confront these killers and defeat them,” he said.

He noted that Nigeria once led ECOMOG successfully in the subregion, but could not defeat terrorists at home because of internal disunity. He said the federal government must build national consensus and enforce discipline within the military.

He explained that some elements within the security forces have been accused of leaking intelligence to terrorists, recalling how a planned U.S.-assisted rescue mission for the Chibok girls under former President Goodluck Jonathan was aborted after Boko Haram operatives appeared with gas masks, evidence that someone had tipped them off.

He said such incidents had eroded international confidence in Nigeria’s military and intelligence systems, warning that the country must “clean up its own house” before expecting respect or support from global powers.

On the allegation of genocide, the former minister said it was unhelpful to reduce Nigeria’s killings to religion. He said Nigerians, both Christians and Muslims, are victims of mindless violence, and that what mattered most was ending the killings.

“If you live in the Middle Belt and say there’s no genocide, then you don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. “Christians are being killed by non-Christians, and Muslims are being killed by non-Muslims. What matters is that Nigerians are being killed, and that must stop,” he added.

He noted that the suggestion by Pastor Enoch Adeboye for President Tinubu to diplomatically engage Trump and seek 100 days to prove his government’s capacity was a sensible approach.

He said Trump’s remarks, though bombastic, reflected a hard truth, that Nigerians are being killed and their government has failed to stop it. He added that rather than dismissing the U.S. leader’s threat outright, the Nigerian government should treat it as an opportunity to demonstrate seriousness in tackling insecurity.

On whether Nigeria should accept foreign assistance, Prof. Akinyemi said help from the United States would come with conditions, noting that Washington’s interventions in countries like Libya, Iraq and Syria were often tied to economic and strategic interests.

 

He said rejecting such help also carries a cost, warning that continued inaction could lead to total destabilisation.

 

“If we reject assistance and remain incapable of defending ourselves, ISWAP and Boko Haram will overrun the country,” he said. “The next stage of their expansion will be the South-West. So, which price are we willing to pay, the price of external help, or the price of total collapse?” he added.

 

He said the Owo Cathedral attack was a painful reminder of religiously motivated violence that went unpunished, lamenting that then-President Muhammadu Buhari failed to visit the state.

 

He added that the Tinubu administration must demonstrate moral responsibility and urgency, stressing that the protection of lives and property rests squarely with the president.

 

“When citizens give security forces advance notice that attackers are coming, and no action is taken until after the massacre, how do you justify that?” he said. “Except to conclude that there’s deep penetration within our security agencies, and that must stop,” he added.

 

Prof. Akinyemi said the federal government must stop the killings, rebuild trust in the armed forces, and engage international partners diplomatically, not through confrontation, but through confidence and capacity.