A former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeniyi Fabikun has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reach out to his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, in a bid to strengthen cooperation and understanding between both countries on Nigeria’s security situation.
Speaking in an interview with Freedomonline.com.ng, the former lawmaker said the Nigerian government should make deliberate efforts to brief the U.S. administration on the complexities of the security challenges facing the country, noting that President Trump “may not fully understand the situation in Nigeria.”
“My contribution is that the Nigerian government should reach out to the president of America and find a way of making him understand the situation in this country,” the speaker said. “I’m sure Donald Trump doesn’t understand much of what is going on.”
He emphasized that Nigeria’s crisis extends beyond religious conflicts, pointing instead to the persistence of terrorism and banditry across various regions.
“The situation in Nigeria is beyond killing our Christians or Muslims — that is not really our problem. Terrorism and banditry are everywhere now,” he said.
According to him, many of those perpetrating violent attacks come from parts of West Africa and may not even understand the purpose of their actions.
He further advised the presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage the American government in order to align any planned military support or international intervention with Nigeria’s ongoing security strategies.
“If at all the U.S. is coming to assist us militarily, it should not run in conflict with what the Nigerian military is doing; otherwise, it will be counterproductive,” he warned.
He called for greater diplomatic communication to ensure that U.S. policies toward Nigeria’s internal security reflect the realities on the ground and support the country’s long-term stability.
