Nigeria caught in US global moves against China, Russia – Wariboko

Nigeria caught in US global moves against China, Russia – Waribok Professor Nimi Wariboko, Professor of Social Ethics at Boston University, has said recent allegations linking China to illegal mining and insecurity in Nigeria are part of a broader geopolitical strategy by the United States to tighten its grip on Nigeria and counter Beijing’s influence […]

Nigeria caught in US global moves against China, Russia – Waribok

Professor Nimi Wariboko, Professor of Social Ethics at Boston University, has said recent allegations linking China to illegal mining and insecurity in Nigeria are part of a broader geopolitical strategy by the United States to tighten its grip on Nigeria and counter Beijing’s influence in Africa.

Wariboko made the remarks on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television on Sunday, where he examined the implications of a recent report by the United States House of Representatives that raised concerns about insecurity, Christian persecution, and alleged Chinese involvement in illegal mining activities in Nigeria.

According to Wariboko, the actions of U.S. lawmakers are closely aligned with the position of President Donald Trump and his administration.

“So what is happening is that the congressmen and women are acting to give President Trump kind of a legislative cover,” he said.

“But this is something his administration has decided and the Republicans are working to achieve it. So by officially sending that report, it makes it appear that Congress is actually nudging him to do something. But it is clear that this is the position of his administration and their concern, the US is concerned about Nigeria’s position and he wants to keep Nigeria within his orbit.”

Wariboko explained that beyond the recurring narrative about genocide and the protection of Christians, the new dimension of the report is its explicit mention of China’s mining activities in Nigeria.

“They did not just talk about the genocide again or the need to protect Christians, but they also mentioned China mining in that place,” he noted, adding that the Tinubu administration has also acknowledged the presence of U.S. military personnel in Nigeria under a bilateral agreement.

“When you look at the issue of, they led initially last fall, October-November, with the issue of Christian genocide. Now they are still on that then, it is now having boots on the ground. And then also mentioning China, then you begin to ask yourself, what is the larger context for all this is happening? And I think that is where I want Nigeria to see the larger game that is being played and how Nigeria is becoming a pawn in that international chess game.”

Wariboko argued that the situation can be interpreted in two ways, both of which raise serious questions about Nigeria’s sovereignty.

“From the Nigerian government point of view, they are telling us that we do not control our sovereignty, that this terrorist group, terrorist organisation are running rampant and they do whatever they want to do. And in addition, we have China, according to the report, mining real important minerals and at the same time paying off these terrorists. So on either side, it’s something that has gone wrong with our sovereignty.”

He said the U.S. position suggests that terrorist groups are not only killing citizens but also allegedly providing protection for Chinese mining interests.

“They are pointing out that you have terrorist organisation going about killing people and also providing protection for Chinese organisation mining. So the government cannot provide that protection and China is taking some minerals. That is the U.S. position.”

However, Wariboko questioned the motive behind linking China directly to terrorism.

“Why are they linking? Why are they mentioning China as a miners of minerals? And why are they linking China to the issue of terrorists? They want to give China a bad name or at least make it publicly that China is not a good country to deal with. And by all means, try to drive out China from Nigeria or from its strategic position in Nigeria or Africa. So that report is doing two things.
“It is browbeating us to say we don’t have control over our sovereignty and also shaming China. And therefore, it provides an excuse for them to come to stop the terrorists, but in the same breath, in the same vein, prevent China from doing what it’s doing and then take over those kinds of mineral extraction by U.S. companies.”

Wariboko described President Trump’s approach as unusually open and driven by urgency.

“President Trump, we’re open about this issue, it’s very bruising in the way he does things, so he doesn’t hide that. That’s why it’s in the open,” he said.

He added that the American president appears to be acting under what he termed “temporal panic.”

“He feels that time is running out on the U.S. and the U.S. needs to do something quickly to keep his dominance of the global scene. So that’s why we are seeing it in the open, no more through the usual diplomatic cycle.”

Wariboko warned that Nigeria risks being caught in the middle of a strategic rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

“That means that Nigeria, to handle President Trump or China, we need to make a decision, where do we stand on this issue? Because two elephants are fighting, either way we are going to get injured. But where do we stand?”
He stressed that Nigeria’s weakened internal security position is providing justification for foreign intervention.
“Do we have our house in order to call President Trump’s bluff? Because the reason he’s coming in, and his military men are already on the ground, is because we don’t have our house in order, we don’t control our terrorists. Otherwise, if we take care of the terrorist situation, and if we take care of ourselves as much as we can, not that we can fight the U.S. or China, then there will be no obvious excuse for him to come in.”
Wariboko warned that continued instability could erode Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“As they’ve come in, under seismic influence, we will continually lose our sovereignty or our say over these kinds of matters,” he said.
Beyond geopolitics, the professor highlighted what he described as a perception within the United States that elements of Nigeria’s security architecture are compromised.
“It’s not that if Nigeria wants to stop these killings, they can’t do it. But there is a certain level of complicity, right? And that’s what they’ve seen, that from the top to the bottom, you can only trust anybody.”
He alleged that intelligence shared by the U.S. had in some cases been leaked.

“Over and over again, they found out that they will give intelligence to the Nigerian military. It will be leaked to the terrorists,” he said.

According to him, this perception fuels Washington’s bold posture toward Nigeria..

“There is this feeling in the U.S. that, look, from top to the bottom, everyone that’s supposed to handle this matter is somehow compromised. So until we are able to address this internal issue of complicity… how come, as a country, with our military and everything that we have, we cannot control these killings?”
Wariboko argued that unless the Nigerian government — from the presidency to security agencies — demonstrates integrity and decisive action, the country will continue to be treated as incapable of managing its affairs.

“They see us as a basket case, and that is what is giving them the, I would say, almost the boldness or even the effrontery to tell us what we need to do. And Congress is only giving President Trump the necessary backing or cover to do what he wants to do,” he concluded.
His comments add a new dimension to the ongoing debate over foreign intervention, sovereignty, and Nigeria’s place in an increasingly tense U.S.-China global rivalry.