The Presidency has stated that it would be a serious diplomatic violation for the United States government, under former President Donald Trump, to undertake any form of military action within Nigeria’s borders without the express approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This position was made clear by Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Tinubu, during an interview with the BBC World Service on Monday.
Bwala emphasized that Nigeria remains a sovereign and independent nation, and as such, any foreign involvement in its internal security matters must be based on mutual consent and respect for its territorial integrity.
According to Bwala, while Nigeria remains open to collaboration with friendly nations in tackling terrorism and insecurity, unilateral intervention by any foreign power would be considered a direct breach of diplomatic protocol.
His comments come in response to statements made by Donald Trump, who recently described Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” following allegations of the persecution of Christians in the country. Trump further hinted at the possibility of deploying the U.S. Department of War to combat terrorist organizations he claimed were responsible for attacks on Christians.
In reaction, Bwala said:
“If it’s a joint operation with Nigeria, that’s acceptable. But diplomatically, it is wrong to invade a sovereign nation without collaboration—especially one that remains a strategic partner in the fight against insecurity.”
He added that unilateral U.S. action would only be justified if there was concrete evidence that the Nigerian government was complicit in the crisis—something he firmly dismissed as false and unfounded.
“Nigeria’s government is not complicit in any acts of terror or persecution. We have consistently worked with international partners, including the United States, in intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism, and humanitarian efforts,” Bwala asserted.
The adviser also urged the international community to avoid politicizing security concerns and to focus on strengthening diplomatic cooperation in addressing global terrorism.
Bwala’s remarks underscore the Tinubu administration’s stance on maintaining Nigeria’s diplomatic dignity while pursuing joint strategies to tackle insecurity in the Sahel and West African region.
