From Our Corrspondent
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from Kogi State, Chief Ben Adaji has called on President Bola Tinubu to treat all those opposed to the U.S military bombings against terrorists in parts of Nigeria as terrorists themselves and enemies of the nation.
Adaji made the call in Jalingo at the weekend, following the backlash from some Islamic clerics after the US army hit some terrorists targets in parts of the North-West on Thursday evening.
He noted that the condemnation by some prominent voices is either the height of hypocrisy or a loud admission of complicity in the atrocities that the terrorists have been metting out on Nigerians for several years now.
Adaji, a former candidate for Ankpa Federal Constituency in Kogi State, said “Nigerians have continued to suffer untold hardship and huge loses due to the activities of these terrorists.
“The damage they have caused in this country is simply unquantifiable. Are we talking in terms of the loss of lives and property? Are we talking about the humiliation before the global community?
“It is simply unfathomable that any rational human being should be sympathetic to their cause except if they are complicit. That is why I listened to some senior clerics condemning the actions of the US army with utter consternation. I think every Nigerian should be grateful to the US that they have taken this bold step.
“For me, I want to urge President Tinubu to treat anyone who has come out to condemn the US military action as a terrorists.
“It means they are the main brain behind the criminals and also beneficiaries of the activities of these foot soldiers. There should not be any form of negotiation with terrorists. They should be brutally eliminated and that is simple.
“I also call on the US to sustain the effort and expand the action to cover all parts of the country under the spell of these terrorists in whatever guise, especially the so-called bandits and killer herdsmen wrecking havoc in states across Nigeria.This is the right time to put an end to this madness and I am confident that the US President, Donald Trump will carry through with this mission till the end”.
Adaji, who is also a human security and counter terrorism expert, called on the president and the National Security Adviser, NSA, to ensure public prosecution of those who have been identified as supporting terrorists in any form to serve as a deterrent to others who may wish to follow such steps.
“The action of terrorists against the people of Nigeria is an affront against the sovereignty of this country and any individual or group found condemning the US airstrike are enemies of the country and they should be treated as terrorists”, he said.
Adaji wondered why insecurity that has claimed lives and wanton destruction of property worth billions of naira will be politicised by any sensible Nigerian.
“That God made you a religious leader does not qualify you as above the law. Nigerians, whether Christians or Muslims, have suffered from the activities of these madmen. For me, there is no need to dialogue with these foreign criminals who have come to wage a war against Nigeria’s sovereignty. They should be wiped off from the surface of the earth”.
Adaji urged security agencies to stand firm in the defense of citizens, as well as protect the integrity and sovereignty of Nigeria at all times.
While commending the patriotic efforts of security personnel, he urged the federal government to give the necessary support and cooperation to genuine international interventions that would restore peace and the dignity of the Nigerian people.
