The missile in action
…Says every Nigerian should be grateful to US
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Chief Ben Adaji, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to treat individuals and groups opposing recent United States military action against terrorists in Nigeria as enemies of the state.
Adaji made the call on Saturday in Jalingo, reacting to criticisms by some Islamic clerics following a reported US airstrike on terrorist targets in parts of North-West Nigeria on Thursday evening.
According to him, the condemnation of the operation by prominent voices amounts to either hypocrisy or an open admission of complicity in the atrocities perpetrated by terrorists across the country over the years.
“Nigerians have continued to suffer untold hardship and huge losses due to the activities of these terrorists.
“The damage they have caused, loss of lives, destruction of property and the humiliation of Nigeria before the global community, is unquantifiable, ”he said.
The former House of Representatives candidate for Ankpa Federal Constituency argued that no rational person should sympathise with terrorists unless they are complicit in their actions.
“I listened to some senior clerics condemning the actions of the US army with utter consternation. Every Nigerian should be grateful that the US has taken this bold step,” he said.
Adaji called on President Tinubu to take a firm stance against anyone who publicly condemned the US military action.
“For me, I urge the President to treat anyone who has come out to condemn the US military action as a terrorist. It means they are either the brains behind these criminals or beneficiaries of their activities. There should be no negotiation with terrorists; they should be eliminated, ”the former lawmaker said.
He further urged the United States to sustain and expand the operation to all parts of the country affected by terrorism, including areas plagued by banditry and violent attacks by armed herdsmen.
“This is the right time to put an end to this madness,” Adaji said, expressing confidence that US President Donald Trump would see the mission through.
Describing himself as a security expert in human security and counterterrorism, Adaji also called on the Nigerian government and the Office of the National Security Adviser to ensure the public prosecution of individuals identified as sponsors or supporters of terrorist activities.
“The actions of terrorists are an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty. Any individual or group condemning the US airstrike is an enemy of the country and should be treated as such, ”he insisted.
He questioned why insecurity, which he said has claimed hundreds of lives and caused destruction worth billions of naira, should be politicised.
“That God made you a religious leader does not place you above the law,” Adaji added, saying that Christians and Muslims alike have suffered from these criminals.
For him, there is no need to dialogue with foreign elements waging war against Nigeria’s sovereignty.
He urged Nigerian security agencies to remain steadfast in defending citizens and protecting the nation’s integrity, while calling on the federal government to provide full support for credible international interventions aimed at restoring peace and national dignity.
