The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, has demanded that U.S. President Donald Trump withdraw and apologize for recent comments in which he threatened military action in Nigeria over an alleged campaign of violence against Christians.
Describing the remarks as “unacceptable and un-American,” Senator Barau told reporters that any U.S. concern should be pursued through established international legal channels rather than public threats. “The President of the United States cannot just come out and say, ‘Oh, you are doing this, and we are going to attack you.’ Nigeria is a sovereign nation,” he said.
Barau urged the United States to take its concerns to the United Nations and obtain a resolution if it believes action is warranted, adding that unilateral threats would contravene international law. “Whatever you feel about our country, follow the legal route, go to the United Nations, get a resolution. But to go that route, I feel, is quite unacceptable. It’s against international law,” he said.
He also dismissed the comments as intimidation, insisting that Nigeria would not be cowed and that diplomacy and due process must guide international relations. “We are not scared to say the truth. If Trump were here, I would tell him, ‘What you did goes against international law. The route you’re taking is not the best route to take,’” Barau added.
Trump’s statement has prompted mixed global reactions, raising diplomatic concerns and calls for restraint as leaders and commentators debate appropriate responses to allegations of targeted violence in Nigeria.
