Alleged genocide: Tinubu must go after terrorists, their sponsors — Fani-Kayode

Fani Kayode

*OPC calls for use of local, foreign collaboration

FORMER Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, yesterday, urged President Bola Tinubu to eliminate terrorists and their sponsors in the country just as he kicked against any diplomatic meeting between Tinubu and the United States President, Mr Donald Trump.

He said this during the 2025 Law Week celebration of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Akure Branch in Ondo State.

The event was themed ‘Nigeria: Quest for utilitarian judiciary and roles for stakeholders’.

The former Minister, who faulted Trump’s motives, described the proposed invasion as a direct threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty.

He said: “My belief is that we must eliminate every single terrorist and those that are sponsoring them in Nigeria. 

“I do not believe in dialogue with them or forgiving them. I do not believe in negotiation with them. I do not believe in pampering them or managing them. I do not believe in rehabilitating them into the Nigerian Armed Forces. 

“I believe in crushing them and sending them to their maker and in doing so quickly and decisively. 

“This has been my position for the last 20 years and it will always be my position," he said.

On the speculated meeting between the two Presidents, the former minister described it as “baffling”, adding that it will come to nought.

He said: “As a matter of fact, it may make matters worse as our President may be verbally and savagely assaulted, insulted and berated right in front of the White House Press Corps. 

“Surely our Jagaban is bigger and better than that and he certainly does not deserve it. And neither would he take it lying low like others have done. 

“Trump claims that Nigerian Christians are facing an existential threat, yet this is far from the truth. 

“It is true that many Christians and Muslims are being targeted and killed by terrorists in Nigeria, but it is not true to suggest that Christianity is facing an “existential threat,” and if it is true, then it means that Muslims are facing an existential threat as well. 

“The solution to the problem is for our political leadership and Armed Forces to muster the resolve and political will to ruthlessly wipe out the Islamist terrorists and foreign militias once and for all.

“That is an obligation that falls on the shoulders of President Bola Tinubu alone, and he must honour it. 

“The world and the Nigerian people want to see concrete action and the implementation of extraordinarily ruthless, violent and aggressive methods and not just hear long talk, promises of success or long-winded and outworn platitudes from government officials.”

Use local, foreign collaboration to crush terrorists, OPC tells President

Meanwhile, the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, yesterday, urged President Tinubu to forge a Nigerian and international collaboration to eliminate terrorism, kidnapping and killings inflicted on the country by non-state actors.

The OPC, in a statement by its Secretary-General, Mr Olubunmi Fasehun, said: “At this critical moment in our nation’s history, when terrorism, banditry and kidnapping continue to threaten our communities, we believe that proactive collaboration among stakeholders is more crucial than ever, be they local or foreign.

“In the light of the offer by US President, Donald Trump, to send in the American contingent to help wipe out terrorism, which is fast making Nigeria a dangerous space, we urge President Bola Tinubu to tap into the advantages of such a collaboration against evil non-state actors who have stretched the patriotic troops of our country’s Military to the limit.

“Additionally, the Federal Government should task the US and other developed nations to freeze the assets of terrorism financiers in Nigeria and anywhere in the world.

“Our position has always been clear: Security is a shared responsibility.

“The OPC shall be willing to contribute our own quota to confront, defeat and expunge these terrorists from Yorubaland and indeed the entire country."