NIGERIA–AMERICA TENSION: A 12-Point Action Plan For Peace, Dignity And Sovereignty By BABAFEMI OJUDU

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IN moments of international strain, strong nations respond not with noise or panic but with clarity, firmness, and strategic calm.

Nigeria must address the security challenges within its borders while managing external pressure with diplomatic maturity.

The following 12-point plan outlines immediate steps to lower tensions, protect national dignity, and strengthen our internal security architecture.

1. Issue a Calm, Statesmanlike National Statement
• Condemn all killings unequivocally.
• Reaffirm Nigeria’s sovereignty and commitment to peace.
• Avoid inflammatory language or emotional reactions.
• Emphasize rule of law and protection of all citizens.

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2. Summon the U.S. Ambassador for Clarification
• Engage quietly through diplomatic channels, not public confrontation.
• Request specific evidence behind U.S. claims.
• Reject blanket accusations while pledging to investigate credible concerns.

3. Brief ECOWAS, AU, and the UN
• Mobilize African and multilateral solidarity.
• Ensure the world sees Nigeria as calm, responsible, and not isolated.
• Reinforce regional security partnerships.

4. Establish an Independent Security & Killings Inquiry Panel

Include:
• Eminent jurists
• Security and intelligence experts
• Civil society and human rights leaders
• Faith and traditional leaders

Announce clear timelines and public reporting.
This is not submission — it is leadership and responsibility.

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5. Strengthen Security and Intelligence Response
• Deploy rapid-action forces to hotspots.
• Intensify operations against known terror and bandit networks.
• End unofficial negotiations with terrorists and bandits.
• Strengthen command accountability and intelligence coordination.

6. Engage Religious and Ethnic Leaders
• Counter dangerous rhetoric about “religious war,” “ethnic cleansing,” or “Christian genocide.”
• Prevent extremists or foreign actors from weaponizing identity.
• Promote unity, empathy, and responsible communication.

7. Launch a Quiet Diplomatic Outreach Programme
• Engage U.S. State Department, Congress, and think-tanks.
• Activate Nigerian diaspora leadership networks.
• Deploy respected global figures (Obasanjo, Abdulsalami, Dangote, Osinbajo, faith leaders).
• Retain credible lobbyists in Washington, D.C.

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8. Speak Directly to Nigerians
• Hold a national address explaining steps being taken.
• Call for unity, calm, and vigilance against disinformation.
• Reassure citizens that security reforms are underway.

9. Protect Foreign Nationals & Embassies in Nigeria
• Increase security around foreign missions and expatriate areas.
• Publicly guarantee protection of all foreign nationals.
• Show Nigeria is a disciplined state, not a reactive one.

10. Accelerate Arrests and Prosecutions
• Publicize credible arrests and investigations.
• Request AU/UN forensic support where needed.
• Demonstrate results — not rhetoric.

11. Establish a Joint Security Dialogue With the U.S.

Focus on:
• Counter-terrorism cooperation
• Intelligence and information sharing
• Tracking arms flows
• Disrupting illegal mining and terror financing networks

Crisis must become opportunity for structured cooperation.

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12. Deploy a Soft-Power & Media Strategy
• Place articulate officials on global platforms.
• Provide facts calmly — not propaganda or defensiveness.
• Highlight victims across religions and regions to rebut sectarian framing.

Guiding Principles

Nigeria must:
• Stay calm and strategic
• Show strength without belligerence
• Reject divisive religious and ethnic narratives
• Match diplomacy with decisive internal security action
• Demonstrate justice, accountability, and humanity
• Assert sovereignty with dignity, not hostility

We secure our sovereignty not by shouting, but by acting with wisdom, unity, and strength.

By Sen Babafemi Ojudu, CON, political scientist, and former Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters.

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