American Airstrikes In Sokoto Against Terrorists Exposes Nigerian Political Leadership Of The Military To Ridicule
The Oasis Reporters
December 26, 2025
In the written or unwritten pact between the government of a nation and it’s citizens is usually the tacit understanding that while the people pay their taxes and vote, the government has a sacred duty to protect them without let or hindrance.
This understanding has largely been unfulfilled in the eyes of the citizens. News have always had it about security lapses where, even under the noses of armed military and police forces who are mostly in the vicinity, vicious massacres of villagers have taken place by armed criminals who even chase the villagers away as their villages are occupied by the armed criminals.
Their stories of lamentations, loss, deaths and displacements are constantly seen in videos on social media. There are also cases where the armed bandits make videos of their exploits which are shown on social media.
Yet nothing decisive gets done as no seen arrests are made and the protection offered to the displaced hardly gives any serious form of hope. There are some children who are born in Internally displaced camps and are known as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). They know nowhere else as home.
That is usually a huge indictment on the leadership when a people seen to be having grave security challenges with nothing vigorously being done to end the sad situation. Or if it is being done, the narrative being put out in the media does not portray it as such which has been ongoing since the days of President Muhammadu Buhari with a spillover into the present administration.
The suspicion would be that there may be some form of complicity between some elements in the security forces and the criminals even though there is no such proof offered.
At a point under this administration, there was a time when some fine individuals who have been at the apex of political leadership in this country, suddenly emerged at the top of the security architecture. Three of the top four top positions then all went to gentlemen who are believed to come from one tribe. And the tribe happens to always be in the news as some of the leading protagonists in some of the security problems in the country.
They may be top technocrats and patriotic citizens, but the perception is not often too good if for instance a multi ethnic and multi religious country like Nigeria would have the National Security Advisor, the Minister of Defense and the Deputy Minister of Defense all emanating from just one tribe. No matter how proficient they are.
Insinuations would be made which may not be palatable to the good officers themselves. Thats a good reason why such offices must be evenly spread no matter how competent the officers may be.
Most especially if some of the Ministers or top technocrats are loquacious and speak to the press without weighing the import of their words and actions. Their emotions easily give them away and what they say could be subject to wrong or different interpretations.
Praise should go to the Nigerian president who, with the benefit of hindsight, took his time to pull Mohammed Badaru out of the Defense portfolio. Here’s what a social media commentator wrote, rightly or wrongly, which is his own perception:
Sheriffdeen Ojon Omo Eko wrote on November 19 that “The Minister of Defence in Nigeria, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, is of Fulani origin.
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, is also Fulani and a cultural figure who promotes and respects the Fulani language.
Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, hails from a Fulani family in Yola and is also of Fulani origin.
These powerful individuals hold influential positions in the country and are all from a tribe known for their strong tribal loyalty.
How can these men of Fulani origin advise the president to take drastic action to crush the Fulani bandits and terrorist groups once and for all in the country?
Hmmm”
Sheriffdeen Ojon Olorunfemi
The American president, Donald Trump wasted no time in acting:
“Tonight at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in North West Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries! I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.
DONALD J TRUMP
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”
He must have felt rightly or wrongly that the persecuted farmers of states like Plateau, Niger, Kwara or Benue State facing cleansing from the suspected Fulani ethnic militia may not get justice with such a security architecture.
He acted. And the PR advantage belongs to him. At least he acted decisively.
