Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has stated that former U.S. President Donald Trump cannot carry out any form of military operation in Nigeria without the approval of the Nigerian government.
Bwala made this assertion during an interview with BBC World Service on Monday, stressing that Nigeria is a sovereign nation and that any foreign intervention in its internal security affairs must be collaborative and respectful of its territorial integrity.
His comments followed Trump’s recent remarks designating Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over the alleged persecution of Christians, alongside a threat to deploy America’s “Department of War” against terrorist groups he claimed were targeting Christians in the country.
“If it’s a joint operation with Nigeria, that’s acceptable,” Bwala 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.”
The presidential aide further explained that unilateral military intervention is only justifiable when there is clear evidence that a government is complicit in a crisis.
“That is certainly not the case in Nigeria,” he added.
Bwala reaffirmed that the Nigerian government remains committed to safeguarding all citizens and maintaining strong international partnerships in addressing security challenges.