Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has described U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments and threat of military action against Nigeria as an embarrassment caused by the Federal Government’s failure to effectively address insecurity in the country.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Falana criticized the government’s inability to curb crimes such as terrorism and kidnapping for ransom, saying the situation has left Nigeria vulnerable to foreign rebuke.
“Why have we brought this embarrassment upon ourselves as a nation, being treated like a neocolony of the United States?” he asked. “We cannot even challenge Mr. Trump and ask, ‘How dare you? Where is this hypocrisy coming from?’”
Trump had last week declared Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over what he termed the “mass slaughter of Christians,” and warned that the U.S. military could intervene if Nigerian authorities failed to act swiftly.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians! WARNING: The Nigerian government better move fast!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Reacting further, Falana urged Nigerian authorities to view Trump’s remarks as a wake-up call to strengthen internal security measures and provide greater transparency about ongoing counter-insurgency operations.
“I can see that the government has begun sharing more information with the public and the international community about the progress being made—how many people are being prosecuted and what steps are being taken,” he added.
