A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Chief Ben Adaji, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to classify individuals and groups opposing recent US airstrikes on terrorist enclaves in Nigeria as enemies of the nation.
Adaji made the call on Saturday in Jalingo, Taraba State, responding to criticisms from some Islamic clerics following Thursday’s airstrikes targeting terrorist positions in North-West Nigeria. He described public condemnation of the US actions as either “the height of hypocrisy” or proof of complicity with armed groups responsible for years of violence.
“Nigerians have continued to suffer untold hardship and huge losses due to the activities of these terrorists. The damage is unquantifiable in terms of lives lost, property destroyed, and national humiliation,” Adaji said.
The APC leader, a former House of Representatives candidate for Ankpa Federal Constituency, expressed disbelief that anyone could sympathise with groups behind prolonged killings and destruction. “It is simply unfathomable that any rational human being should be sympathetic to their cause, except if they are complicit,” he added.
Adaji called on President Tinubu to take a firm stance against airstrike critics, suggesting they may be sponsors or beneficiaries of terrorist activities. He also urged the US to maintain and expand military support across all insecure regions, including areas plagued by banditry and armed herders.
Describing himself as a security expert in human security and counter-terrorism, Adaji said public prosecutors should target those supporting terrorist groups. “The actions of terrorists are an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty. Any individual or group condemning the US airstrikes should be regarded as an enemy of the country,” he stated.
He stressed that insecurity, which has claimed hundreds of lives and caused billions in property losses, should not be politicised. “Being a religious leader does not place anyone above the law. Both Christians and Muslims have suffered from these criminals,” he said, calling for decisive military action over dialogue.
Adaji concluded by urging Nigerian security agencies to remain vigilant and for the federal government to fully back legitimate international interventions aimed at restoring peace and protecting citizens.
