Sowunmi Faults Global Powers, Says Terrorism Intervention in Nigeria Came Too Late

Sowunmi Faults Global Powers, Says Terrorism Intervention in Nigeria Came Too Late

A former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Segun Sowunmi, has said international intervention in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism came far later than expected, despite global powers having long possessed the intelligence and military capability to act.

Sowunmi made the remarks on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics while reacting to recent United States airstrikes in northwestern Nigeria targeting suspected militant groups.

According to him, the global community had the technological advantage to monitor terrorist activities in Nigeria long before decisive action was taken.

“I felt that the world came in a little bit too late. The security resources available to the world suggest that they have eyes in the skies already,” Sowunmi said.

He commended the United States for acting when the situation deteriorated, while criticising other global powers for their silence.

“You must thank the United States when the chips were really down. Britain, which should ordinarily have a bigger interest, didn’t say anything. China, which has also been active here with various projects, said nothing,” he added.

Sowunmi noted that US President Donald Trump eventually authorised the operation, saying the violence had become excessive. However, he stressed that the situation was not one to celebrate.

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Describing Nigeria’s security crisis as deeply painful, he likened the killing of terrorists to a parent witnessing the death of a wayward child.

“As a parent, you won’t stand by and watch even your wayward child get killed,” he said.

He also warned of the implications had the strikes been carried out without Nigeria’s consent.

“If he had stayed in the Gulf of Guinea and fired missiles without consulting the Nigerian government, what military capabilities do we even have for deterrence?” he asked.

Sowunmi urged Nigerians across religious lines to view the moment soberly, insisting that terrorism in Nigeria should not be framed as a religious or ethnic conflict.

“Nigerians, both Muslims and Christians, need to understand this is not a happy moment,” he said.

The comments followed US airstrikes ordered on December 25, 2025, which targeted suspected Islamic State (ISIS) camps in Sokoto State, near the Niger Republic border. The operation reportedly involved Tomahawk missiles launched from US naval assets in the Gulf of Guinea, with surveillance support from MQ-9 Reaper drones.

President Trump described the strikes as a response to escalating violence, which he characterised as a “genocide” against Christians in Nigeria. The operation came shortly after the United States designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and imposed US visa restrictions on Nigerians.

Although the Nigerian government confirmed it provided intelligence support for the mission, officials expressed concern that Washington announced the strikes before a jointly agreed statement could be released. Authorities also emphasised that the operation was not religiously motivated and targeted multiple terrorist groups, including Lakurawa.

In a related development, President Bola Tinubu disclosed that Nigeria had sought military assistance from Turkey due to delays in the delivery of US-ordered military hardware, including attack helicopters.

Sowunmi concluded that Nigeria would be better served by consistently defining terrorism as criminality, warning that religious or ethnic framing only deepens division and undermines national unity.

Sowunmi Faults Global Powers, Says Terrorism Intervention in Nigeria Came Too Late