By Kayode Emola
For the first time in 10 years, Christians in Nigeria celebrated the 2025 Christmas without experiencing attack on churches or Christian worshippers. Although the anxiety was there, and many churches were told not to open for gatherings around that period, it still felt as if something big would happen anyway.
Indeed, something big did happen and it was loud even to the deaf, but the consequences of that singular action may last for a lifetime. This time around, it was the terrorists’ themselves that were being attacked and not innocent people in the communities. Few days ago, President Trump stated in a TV interview with FOX News that the US had bomb Nigeria once and if necessary, there will be many bombs if Christians continues to be killed.
I do not believe that bomb alone can solve this problem, and if the US continues to throw bombs on Nigerian soil without truly delving into the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria, then the US would create a greater problem than they met. The problem of insecurity in Nigeria is not just banditry and terrorism on innocent villagers, it is an agelong jihad that has spread its wing into several aspect of the society.
For instance, the US army’s bombed terrorist’s hideout in Tangaza area of Sokoto state which is less than 50km to the Nigeria/Niger Republic porous border. What that could lead to is the terrorists gaining support from their brothers in Niger republic and other parts of the Sahelian countries to terrorise the villagers in those communities.
The second possibility is that the terrorists will start migrating southwards to finally conclude their jihadi conquest mission for the Caliphate. In either scenario, we Southerners who may have been shielded by the Rivers’ Niger and Benue may become vulnerable to frequent attacks.
The US Christmas day bombing of the Lakurawa vigilante group (now metamorphosed into a full-blown terrorist group) may give the group more sympathy among its people. This could therefore solidify their presence in the area granting them legitimacy they highly desire. They could use this newly acquired position to portray themselves as the protectors of the communities against government aggression, thereby controlling vast amounts of lands for themselves.
As for us Yoruba and other nationalities in Nigeria, this is the time to speak out loudly and clearly to the world without mincing words. Our political leaders have failed to do the needful by protecting the lives and properties of the people, therefore it is time for us to take decisive actions.
This is not the time to merry go-round about our security; it is the time to become resolute in our resolve to solve the insecurity problem once and for all. We like the Israelis faced multiple threats from the Iranian regime, Hamas group, Hezbollah and the Houthi government in Yemen.
The Israelis did not fold their hands hoping for the day God will come down to help them defeat their enemies. They took affirmative action in going after the terrorists’ groups that were after their lives and properties. With the decisive defeat of the Hamas group, the Hezbollah and the Iranian regime, Israel can now breathe to a sigh of relief for many years to come.
I urge our Yoruba people to begin to organise themselves into formidable groups that can repel this terrorists’ groups invading our lands. We need to understand that President Trump’s Christmas day bombing of Sokoto however good that it is, has opened a pandora box. We either get the job done once and for all or live the rest of our lives as a conquered slave if we do not act, God forbid.
This is the time for affirmative action just like the Israelis did following the Oct 7th, 2023, attack by Hamas. We need not think that the Christmas day bombing of the terrorists by the US and the promise of continuous bombing by President Trump will bring lasting solution especially if the US is not prepared to put boots on the ground to finish what they started.
The US will need to decide for themselves how they want to carry out their own campaign. However, if our government officials fail to protect the lives and properties of our people, then communities have a moral responsibility to start forming local vigilante groups that would defend their lands and livelihood. A word is enough for the wise.
