We join millions of concerned, patriotic Nigerians to reject any form of foreign intervention in our security situation. We fully understand the sentiments behind US President, Donald J Trump’s threat to invade Nigeria, “guns-a-blazing”, to “wipe out” Islamic terrorists killing Nigerians under several guises, such as Boko Haram, Fulani militants and “bandits”.

In the first place, Nigeria is a sovereign nation. Any military invasion without provocation will be a violation of international law. This is obviously why concerned members of the international community like China, the European Union and others, have voiced their opposition to America’s threat.

Secondly, any such attack will destabilise the country which is already internally bedevilled with Islamic insurgency and separatist agitations. It could spark multi-frontal wars and reduce Nigeria to the situation that Sudan finds itself in. With a population of about 230 million, such an unfortunate situation will shake Africa to its core with anarchy, displaced persons and human misery.

We blame our leaders. If they had done their constitutionally-mandated, primary duty of restoring security as they promised during campaigns, Trump would not have any reason to call Nigeria a “disgraced country”. Our leaders sat by while Fulani herdsmen acquired military-grade weapons and started massacring defenceless Nigerians in Plateau, Benue, Taraba, and Southern Kaduna. These are largely Christian-populated areas. Almost every day, mass burials are conducted, with the government sending condolences and promising security which they never fulfill. The killings have gone on for so long that they no longer make the news.

It was due to government mishandling of its responsibility that Boko Haram sprouted in the North-East. It has become a 17-year-old chronic disease. Also, the bandits that have proliferated in the North-West and North-Central are Islamic fighters reportedly brought in from the deep Sahel by politicians to levy war on Nigeria if they lost the 2015 election.

To make matters worse, Northern governors feed the threat. They negotiate with these groups and pay them ransoms which they use to enlarge their forces.

For years, we have shouted ourselves hoarse, urging the Federal Government to designate the Fulani herdsmen militias as terrorists and crack down on them. While there is full deployment against Boko Haram and the bandits, the armed herdsmen have, up till date, never been profiled as a terror group.

We hope that Trump’s threat will act as a wake -up call on the leadership of this country. Instead of foreign powers turning Nigeria into a battleground in pursuit of their selfish interests, they should help the country with military, financial and intelligence support to defeat our insecurity.

This has become a matter of global interest because if the jihadists succeed into capturing Nigeria, Africa and the world will never be the same.

We need help, not threats.