Video: Trump’s threat reckless, unilateral military action in Nigeria would be illegal—US Congress member
Abdullateef Fowewe
During a US Congress hearing on Nigeria’s status as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), on Thursday, Sara Jacobs, Ranking Member of the House, strongly criticised President Trump’s recent comments threatening military action in Nigeria.
Jacobs acknowledged the serious violence gripping Nigeria, saying, “There is very real conflict and violence that we need to address. The violence impacting both Christian and Muslim communities is real, and the Nigerian government can and should do more to address it.”
She highlighted recent tragic incidents: “I was horrified to learn of the killing of two people and the kidnapping of the pastor and a worshiper at a church in Quarry State, and just days earlier, criminal bandits kidnapped 25 girls in Kebbi State.”
Stress on complexity came with a warning against simplistic narratives, she noted, “The victims in the Kebbi State kidnapping were all Muslim girls. So violence affects everyone, and false narratives perpetuate harmful stereotypes and motivate tensions and violence based on religious identity, distorting what’s happening into a solely religious narrative.”
Jacobs directly condemned the president’s stance, saying, “President Trump’s threat is reckless, and any unilateral military action in Nigeria would be illegal. Congress has not authorised force in Nigeria to protect Christians, and any action without Nigeria’s consent violates international law.”
She concluded that military intervention is not the solution, “A military first response won’t actually address the violence and will do very little to protect Christian communities.”
