Bwala: US Needs Nigeria’s Consent Before Any Military Action, Says Sovereignty Must Be RespectedBy
Anamati Inyang ,November 3, 2025
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said it would be diplomatically inappropriate for the United States to carry out any form of military operation in Nigeria without the consent of the Federal Government.
Bwala made the remark in an interview with the BBC World Service on Monday, stressing that Nigeria remains a sovereign nation whose internal security matters must be handled in line with international diplomatic norms.
His comments followed the recent statement by former US President Donald Trump, who named Nigeria a “country of particular concern” over alleged persecutiion of Christians and hinted at possible military intervention if the situation persisted.
Trump had also warned that Nigeria could risk losing American aid if it failed to address insecurity and threats to religious freedom.
Reacting, Bwala said Trump’s comments had been largely misinterpreted and expressed optimism that any misunderstanding would be cleared up when President Tinubu meets with his US counterpart in the coming days.
He also commended Trump for previously approving the sale of arms to Nigeria during his first tenure, describing the move as a show of goodwill that strengthened the country’s fight against terrorism.
Bwala dismissed claims of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, explaining that insecurity affects citizens of all faiths.
“We appreciate President Donald Trump because, during his first term, he approved arms sales that enhanced Nigeria’s counter-insurgency operations,” he said. “In his second term, he has again shown interest in supporting the fight against Boko Haram, which we welcome—but such efforts must be based on verified intelligence and not social media narratives.”
On the suggestion of possible US military involvement, Bwala maintained that any such action must be undertaken jointly with Nigeria and in accordance with established diplomatic protocols.
“If it’s a joint operation with Nigeria, that’s acceptable,” he said. “But diplomatically, it is wrong to invade a sovereign nation without collaboration—especially one that remains a strategic partner in the fight against insecurity. Unilateral intervention only occurs when there is proof that a government is complicit in a crisis, which is certainly not the case with Nigeria.”…
