Russia and the African Union (AU) have urged the United States to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and pursue diplomatic channels amid reports that Washington may consider military action over the country’s security challenges.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Friday during a weekly briefing in Moscow that the situation in Nigeria was being closely monitored and called on all parties to comply with international law. “We are closely monitoring this issue and call on all parties involved to strictly comply with international legal norms,” she said, responding to questions about Nigeria.
Similarly, the AU Commission emphasized that any external engagement must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional rights. The Commission condemned narratives that attribute violence solely to religious motives and warned that unilateral military threats could destabilize communities and hinder effective security solutions.
President Bola Tinubu has intensified efforts to rally international support against terrorism and violent extremism. On Friday, he met with the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’adu Abubakar, at the State House in Abuja, as part of wider consultations with religious and traditional leaders following former US President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged religious persecution.
Tinubu, who also met with the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Bishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to defeating terrorism, calling for renewed international collaboration and intelligence sharing. “Security is non-negotiable, and we will never compromise on this principle,” he tweeted via his verified handle @officialABAT.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, urged troops of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), to prepare for a decisive offensive against Boko Haram and ISWAP. Addressing soldiers at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Borno State, he said the coming operations would mark a critical phase in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency efforts, highlighting upgraded operational platforms, surveillance assets, and welfare support for troops.
Religious leaders and civil society figures have weighed in on the issue. The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, described ongoing attacks on Christian communities as acts of genocide and urged Tinubu to cooperate with the United States to combat radical groups, rather than oppose international engagement. Veteran journalist and African Democratic Congress chieftain, Dele Momodu, also advised the president to mobilize Nigerians with global credibility to engage directly with US authorities.
Conversely, the think tank Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) disputed the CPC designation, calling Trump’s claims based on flawed and exaggerated data. According to IMPI, global terrorism statistics show that fatalities in Nigeria were significantly lower than figures cited by advocacy groups alleging faith-based killings. The group stressed the need for verified, government-to-government data exchange to foster accurate international assessments.
The controversy follows heightened international scrutiny of Nigeria’s handling of security, terrorism, and religious violence, prompting calls for balanced engagement, respect for sovereignty, and strengthened cooperation with global partners to ensure peace and stability.
President Tinubu continues to appeal for international support while pledging to intensify military operations, strengthen intelligence coordination, and safeguard citizens across all religious and ethnic communities in Nigeria.
