Senator Henry Seriaki Dickson (Bayelsa West) has weighed in on the recent controversial statement by President Donald Trump regarding the security situation in Nigeria, emphasizing the need for international collaboration to defeat entrenched terrorist groups.
In a comprehensive statement titled “My Stance On President Trump’s Statement,” the Senator acknowledged the necessity of respecting Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity but argued that the government is currently overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis and must seek external assistance.
Senator Dickson detailed the long-running insurgency, which he noted has persisted for “almost 15 years,” by groups including Boko Haram, ISWAP, and affiliates of ISIS and al-Qaeda, alongside newer groups he identified as Lakurawa and Wulowulo.
He stressed that the violence is indiscriminate, targeting Christians, Muslims, and other faiths, with atrocities including, the introduction of suicide bombing and the slaughter of thousands of citizens across the North-East and Middle Belt.
Mass abductions of school children, citing the Chibok, Dapchi, and Buni Yadi incidents, with figures like Leah Sharibu and others still missing.
The Senator highlighted a severe challenge to Nigeria’s sovereignty, stating that in states like Borno, Zamfara, and Katsina, terrorists “continue to control territories, impose taxes on locals, and generally exercise authority” outside of Nigerian law.
He framed the former US President’s recent commentary as a “wake-up call to action.”
“If the Nigerian government is unable to address this issue effectively, then it must collaborate with those who can help us flush out these terrorists,” the statement read.
Senator Dickson noted that the Senate has repeatedly raised these security issues, paid countless tributes to the dead, and proposed solutions, including a motion to dispatch a non-partisan team of experts to Washington D.C. to interface on the matter.
He attributed the protracted crisis to the “failure of successive governments,” which created room for conspiracy theories, including allegations of state complicity under the previous administration—a concern once voiced by General T. Y. Danjuma. He specifically mentioned the policy under the late President Buhari of appointing mostly Muslims to head all security services, which he said worsened public perceptions.
In conclusion, Senator Dickson strongly recommended that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should “collaborate with President Donald Trump, the US Government, and other allies and friends of Nigeria to flush out these marauding terrorists.”
He also urged the President to improve relations with neighboring countries and quickly correct the anomaly of the non-appointment of ambassadors to maximize Nigeria’s diplomatic resources.
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