There has been a renewed push by authorities and security agencies to tackle the spate of insecurity after Sunday’s threat by Donald Trump the President of the United States to invade Nigeria over what he described as the ill treatment of Christians.
Trump said that he had asked the Defense Department to prepare for possible “fast” military action in Nigeria if Africa’s most populous country fails to crack down on the killing of Christians.
The US leader’s position, coming shortly after Nigeria was designated a “country of particular concern,” was reportedly based on claims that the Nigerian government had failed to curb attacks and tyranny against citizens, especially Christians.
Amid the outpour of reactions to Trump’s threat within and outside Nigeria, the presidency responded immediately by saying that it would welcome U.S. help in fighting Islamist insurgents as long as its territorial integrity is respected.
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Perhaps what has surprised many citizens is that there is now more strategy meetings and redoubling of efforts by those concerned after Trump’s threat.
The federal government has stepped up security coordination and diplomatic engagement following threats by the United States President.
Many citizens are wondering why such efforts were not put into tackling the spate of insecurity across Nigeria before, considering the number of lives that were killed daily.
Just hours after Trump’s threat, the FCT Police Command, Abuja, launched a three-month special operation targeting criminal hideouts across the territory.
According to a statement by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, directed all tactical and surveillance units under the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), including operatives of the Police Mobile Force and Counter Terrorism Unit, to join forces with divisional police formations in the operation.
The special operation, which commences in November 2025 and will run through January 2026, is aimed at identifying, dislodging, and apprehending all criminal elements hibernating within the nooks and crannies of the territory,” Adeh said.
She added that the police chief emphasised that the exercise will be conducted with intensity and consistency, stating that operatives have been directed to dominate identified black spots, criminal hideouts, and vulnerable communities, ensuring the safety and security of residents at all times.
Dantawaye warned that any act of misconduct or unprofessional behaviour would not be tolerated and urged officers to maintain discipline, integrity, and respect for human rights throughout the exercise.
President Bola Tinubu’s on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to end insecurity and protect all citizens regardless of religion.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the government was already reorganizing the nation’s security architecture before the U.S. president’s comments.
“The Tinubu administration has acted decisively ahead of any external pressure. Security agencies have been strengthened to protect lives and Nigeria’s sovereignty will not be compromised,” Onanuga said.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, hours after Trump’s threat on Sunday met with service chiefs and heads of intelligence agencies in Abuja to review the security situation and coordinate the government’s response. Sources said the meeting also discussed U.S. statements and measures to avoid diplomatic tension.
President Tinubu has dismissed claims of religious persecution, insisting that victims of violence cut across faiths and regions.
“The insecurity challenge is driven by terrorists and criminal gangs who attack both Muslims and Christians,” a government statement said.
Analysts say the government’s renewed attention to security may signal tougher operations against Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, and armed bandit groups blamed for thousands of deaths in the past decade across Nigeria.
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“I wish the administration can use the same energy it is using to lure politicians into the ruling party and campaign to tackle insecurity.
“Nobody is in support of invasion but there is no doubt that Nigeria needs help. The government can’t handle the situation alone and they should admit it”, a political analyst who did not want his name in print told BusinessDay.
Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party (SDP ) has called on the American President to end the recurring killings of innocent Nigerians by terrorists and bandits in virtually all parts of the country without recourse to religious background.
It also cautioned President Trump to respect the sovereignty of Nigeria even as he wished to help the country come out of incessant killings of its citizens.
This is as the party advised President Tinubu to save Nigerians from the current hardship occasioned by his anti- people policies while evolving ways of ending insecurity in the country.
