Statement on foreign military actions in Nigeria and misleading international narratives
Nigeria is a sovereign state and a full member of the international community, bound by—and entitled to the protections of—international law. Any foreign military action conducted on Nigerian territory without transparent, lawful and nationally accountable authorisation constitutes a serious breach of sovereignty and undermines the principles of the UN Charter, regional stability and global norms […]
Recovered projectiles from the airstrikes’ scene
Nigeria is a sovereign state and a full member of the international community, bound by—and entitled to the protections of—international law. Any foreign military action conducted on Nigerian territory without transparent, lawful and nationally accountable authorisation constitutes a serious breach of sovereignty and undermines the principles of the UN Charter, regional stability and global norms of state responsibility.
Reports of airstrikes on Nigerian soil by the United States (US) government raise profound concerns that demand international scrutiny, restraint and accountability. Counterterrorism, no matter how urgently framed, does not confer a mandate for unilateral military action or the erosion of another nation’s territorial integrity.
Concern over selective and divisive rhetoric
Equally troubling are simplistic and selective narratives advanced in international discourse—particularly during the administration of US President, Donald Trump—that characterise Nigeria’s security crisis as a so-called “Christian genocide”.
Such claims are factually misleading and socially dangerous.
Nigeria’s conflict is not a religious war. Terrorist violence in Nigeria has claimed victims across all communities. Notably, Muslim-majority regions and populations have borne a disproportionate share of attacks, with civilians targeted in villages, markets, places of worship, schools and farms. Extremist groups prey on vulnerability, poverty and weak state presence—not on faith alone.
Framing Nigeria’s crisis through a narrow religious lens distorts reality, marginalises large segments of victims and risks inflaming sectarian tensions in an already fragile environment.
Terrorism in Nigeria: A governance and development crisis
Nigeria’s insecurity is rooted in structural challenges that are widely recognised by international partners and institutions:
Chronic poverty and inequality
Youth unemployment and social exclusion
Weak local governance and overstretched security institutions
Deficits in justice, accountability and service delivery
Military force alone—especially when externalised—cannot resolve these drivers. Airstrikes do not replace institution-building. Bombs do not create legitimacy. Lasting peace requires Nigerian-led solutions supported, not supplanted, by international cooperation.
Our position to the international community
We reject unauthorised foreign military action on Nigerian soil.
We reject the instrumentalisation of religion in international policy narratives.
We affirm the equal worth and dignity of all Nigerian lives—Muslim, Christian and others alike.
True partnership respects sovereignty.
Effective counterterrorism protects civilians and institutions.
Responsible international engagement avoids rhetoric that divides societies and fuels extremism.
Nigeria seeks cooperation, not coercion; support, not substitution; justice, not selective outrage.
The path to peace in Nigeria lies in strengthening institutions, addressing poverty and injustice, and restoring trust between the state and its citizens—not in foreign strikes or polarizing narratives.
Engineer Anas Adam