By Richard Maduku,
On Sunday, 2 November, 2025, many Nigerians abandoned whatever they were doing to celebrate a post by the United States president, Mr Donald Trump. It was carried on his Truth social platform. He had earlier on 31 October, informed the world that Nigeria was now designated a ‘Country of Particular Concern CPC ’ to the United States government.
Few Nigerians understood what that entailed and as a result, they concluded that it would end at just the labelling. But how wrong it turned out to be!
Barely forty-eight hours later (2 November post) Trump told the world that the US was considering a military intervention in Nigeria to put an end to the genocide against Christians in the country if the leadership did nothing to stop it! The language of the post was casual as if such an operation was a picnic. The tone was condescending but many Nigerians didn’t mind, they were too excited.
“Trump don see us finish!” This was how someone summed up the situation and I totally agreed with him.
For those who don’t understand Nigerian pidgin English very well, to see a person finish simply means such a character cannot help himself and requires an outsider to save him.
A good example is a chronic alcoholic who would, on his own, rather die drinking than to stop. Concerned family members, friends or neighbours usually ignore the addict’s protestations in order to save him from himself.
In the case of a people or a nation it means almost the same thing. And it will be the height of self deception if we claim Nigeria is not at the end of her tether in nearly every aspect of life for over forty years now, especially the last ten.
We cannot for instance, refine our crude oil and so we have to import the refined one at a prohitive price. It is like a farmer who cannot boil his own yams despite yam being his staple food. When he wants to eat he buys it from those boiling them for consumption at exorbitant price.
This may sound like a fairy tale but it is what is happening in Nigeria for decades now. The next area we’ve been unable to help ourselves is even more pathetic.
Our once formidable Army that has proven itself in peace enforcement/keeping operations outside and inside the continent in the past seems to be in a dilemma today. Our soldiers have been unable to defeat a bunch of religious fanatics that had no military training whatsoever for almost one and half decades now!
This failure has led to several criminal groups mushrooming all over the place killing and kidnapping people for ransom. The deadliest (3rd in the world) and most widespread amongst them are Fulani terrorists masquerading as herdsmen.
They claim Nigeria, especially the Middle Belt, is theirs, if not for the British intervention about two centuries ago, by conquest! The situation is so nightmarish it has made the intervention Trump told the world about on 2 November to be seen as God sent by many Nigerians.
The issue being made out of Trump’s singling out of Christians as the ones being killed is irrelevant. The Presidency, Muslim leaders and a handful of compromised Christian leaders who are making noise out of this distinction should know that human lives are at stake. If equal numbers of Muslims are being killed as their leaders are claiming, then it behoves them to also welcome anyone who volunteered to stop the killings even if the person is not their best friend.
Interestingly Donald Trump has a huge followership in Nigeria. Many love his gra gra. Since he made public his intention, his fans here have been praying fervently that he doesn’t change his mind. They are also praying that Barack Obama and the other Democrats in the US do not take any court action that could bar him from his noble plan for Nigeria.
Lastly, many Nigerians are praying that God should change the hearts of the parents of these terrorists so that they don’t hide them in their ba shiga (no entry) compounds only to let them loose again after the Yankees are gone.
For many people know that the Boko Haram insurgency has lasted this long because the locals were backing them. Prominent people from the North openly boasted at the beginning when Goodluck Jonathan was president that an attack on the murderous sect was an attack on the entire North.
They pressured Jonathan that Boko Haram be granted amnesty the same way it was done to the Niger Delta militants. Without knowing it, it was the local backing that has given rise to so many criminal groups terrorising the country as a whole today, especially the North.
President Tinubu, though not the darling of too many Nigerians, those praying for Trump are also praying for him to cooperate fully with the Americans. Being a generous giver, they want him to select a befitting gift for president Trump.
Apart from physical gift, he can also name a landmark edifice after him as he did to his kinsman Profesor Wole Soyinka.
But he should warn the Prof not to lurk around any venue Trump is to be received.
And that he should shelve the uncomplimentary play about Trump he is believed to be writing. On the edifice to name after Trump, the square named after our president’s adopted mother has been suggested. It used to be the most famous landmark in Lagos in those days. It should be given a face lift and renamed Trump Square.
Lastly, Trump has been awarded what are similar to medals in many places for his role in ending conflicts. In Nigeria, we honour heroes with a white eagle’s feather. Tinubu should procure one for him when the deed is done. It is going to be his next medal, I mean next feather!
Richard Maduku, a retired Nigerian Army (Infantry) Captain and novelist lives in Effuruntor-Otor, Delta State.
