As mixed reactions trail the United States’ airstrikes on terrorists in Sokoto State on Thursday, the convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, Aisha Yesufu, has thrown her weight behind the action, describing it as a necessary intervention.
Speaking in an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend on Friday, Yesufu said terrorist activities had persisted in Nigeria for over 16 years, lamenting what she described as the government’s failure to decisively address the menace which has claimed thousands of lives and destroyed properties across the country.
According to her, Nigerians should not direct blame at the United States for the airstrikes, as the country had long lost its sovereignty due to poor leadership and worsening insecurity.
“We have no sovereignty anymore. We lost that long ago to insecurity and bad governance,” she said.
Yesufu further criticised the federal government’s response to the incident, noting that U.S. President Donald Trump announced the operation on social media before many Nigerians became aware of it, while the Nigerian leadership remained silent.
“This incident happened on Thursday, yet it was President Trump who tweeted about it before many Nigerians even knew. Up till now, our own president has not addressed the nation or said anything about it,” she added.
The activist said the absence of decisive leadership had left the country vulnerable, insisting that the U.S. intervention should be seen as a welcome development capable of saving lives.
“Our president should have immediately convened an emergency war cabinet meeting and addressed the nation. Instead, the president and the National Security Adviser are reportedly holidaying in Lagos,” she said.
She also faulted the silence of key security officials, noting that neither the Minister of Defence nor the National Security Adviser had issued any public statement on the airstrikes.
Yesufu further challenged President Bola Tinubu to make public the memorandum of understanding reportedly signed with France on revenue generation.
“How can a nation’s critical sectors be negotiated with a foreign government without the consent of its citizens?” she queried.
She accused the Tinubu administration of disregarding the will of Nigerians, saying, “This administration does not respect citizens. It acts as it wishes and as it pleases.”
