The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, said it was opposed to any form of foreign military intervention in Nigeria, especially from the United States, following the latter’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged persecution of Christians.
In a communique issued after its National Caucus meeting, the forum comprising Afenifere (South-West), Ohanaeze Ndigbo (South-East), the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), and the Middle Belt Forum, called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently address internal security challenges and undertake a balanced restructuring of the defence leadership.
The group called on Tinubu to extend the recent military reforms in his administration by making such appointments for Southerners as the National Security Adviser, Minister of Defence, and Minister of State for Defence, positions currently held by Northerners, to ensure inclusiveness and an effective national security architecture.
The communiqué, signed by Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Afenifere; Dr. Bitrus Pogu, Middle Belt Forum; Senator John Azuta-Mbata, Ohanaeze Ndigbo; and Ambassador Godknows Igali, PANDEF, urged the Federal Government to adopt a nationalist approach by empowering the Attorney-General to begin the legal process for the release of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, in the interest of national peace and reconciliation.
The forum has reaffirmed its 2021 resolution that power should remain in the South during the 2027 presidential election, adding that such a rotation promotes equity, stability, and national unity.
Reacting to the US designation, the forum said: “SMBLF affirms its opposition to any unsolicited foreign military intervention in Nigeria. The Federal Government must instead face the pressing task of disarming and prosecuting known militias, killer herdsmen, and terrorist groups terrorising communities across Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Taraba, and other regions.”
Meanwhile, Southern Kaduna Christian leaders under the Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Association have applauded former US President Donald Trump over the stand, describing it as a “long-overdue truth” that exposes government failure to protect Christians in Northern Nigeria.
Chairman of SKCLA, Apostle Emmanuel Nuhu Kure, accused past governments of abandoning Christian minorities at the mercy of land grabbers and perpetuating institutional discrimination against Christian communities within Northern universities and public institutions.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio dismissed Trump’s claims as outdated, since they flowed from a “purported 2010 report” rather than from the current realities in Nigeria. He reiterated that the Senate would deliberate on the issue with the executive arm for a harmonized foreign policy response.
Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris said President Tinubu is calm and focused on leveraging diplomacy to get across Nigeria’s security efforts to the rest of the world.
In another related development, China warned the U.S. not to interfere in Nigeria’s internal affairs. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said any foreign military interference would amount to a violation of Nigerian sovereignty; this was as Beijing vowed to support Tinubu’s administration and Nigeria’s right to independently choose its development path. Analysts say China’s reaction reflects the growing strategic partnership between China and Nigeria following the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Agreement that was signed in Beijing last year, reflecting a broader opposition China is waging against U.S. unilateralism on African affairs.
