The AAC Chairman warned that the development could erode the country’s sovereignty and drag Nigeria towards long-term instability.
The Chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the FCT, Agena A. Robert, has cautioned Nigerians against celebrating the recent United States airstrikes on alleged terrorist targets in Sokoto State.
The AAC Chairman warned that the development could erode the country’s sovereignty and drag Nigeria towards long-term instability.
The strikes, carried out last week under what American officials described as a counterterrorism mission, have ignited nationwide debate.
While some citizens hailed the intervention as a necessary response to insecurity, others questioned the legality, transparency, and implications for the nation’s independence.
In a statement titled “A Wake-Up Call for Nigerians: Don’t Trade Sovereignty for Short-Term Gains,” Robert argued that foreign military intervention risks turning Nigeria into “a battleground for global power interests,” insisting that patriotism should mean defending national institutions rather than outsourcing security responsibilities.
Robert cited past U.S. engagements in the Middle East and Latin America, alleging that similar interventions in countries like Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Venezuela left nations weakened and vulnerable to external influence.
“Imperial powers don’t solve problems — they exploit them. Our security isn’t their priority; resources and geopolitical leverage are,” he wrote, insisting that Nigeria must avoid what he called “the ally trap.”
He also questioned the Nigerian government’s role, saying the administration appeared to have been “notified, not consulted,” describing the situation as a “dangerous precedent” that could embolden foreign powers to act without Nigerian authorization.
The statement raised concerns over potential civilian casualties, displacement, and retaliation by terror groups, warning that parts of the North could become “new war zones” if military operations are increasingly driven by foreign governments.
Robert argued that airstrikes target the “symptoms of terrorism,” not the root causes, pointing to poverty, corruption, and governance failures as the fuel behind extremist recruitment.
“Bombs can’t fix economic injustice. Dialogue, justice, and development can,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to demand explanations from the Presidency and military authorities, including who approved the U.S. operation, how civilians will be protected, and why local forces were not deployed instead.
He also proposed legislative measures to restrict foreign troop activity on Nigerian soil, and called for stronger regional security cooperation through ECOWAS and Lake Chad Basin partners rather than Western countries.
“Celebrating airstrikes is short-term euphoria, long-term disaster. Nigeria is not Syria or Afghanistan. We still have a choice,” Robert warned.
“Unity, resilience, and self-determination — or chaos, vultures, and becoming a footnote in history.”