Trump’s Military Threat A Wake-Up Call To End Terrorism, Says Olubadan

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has urged Nigerians to unite and confront the country’s lingering insecurity, describing the recent military threat by U.S. President Donald Trump as a wake-up call to take the fight against terrorism more seriously.

Oba Ladoja made the statement while receiving the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, at his palace in Oke Aremo, Ibadan, over the weekend.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Adeola Oloko, the monarch lamented that Nigeria has battled terrorism and violent extremism for more than a decade, dating back to the late stages of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2014.

He said the unending crisis has claimed thousands of lives, destroyed property worth trillions of naira, and displaced countless families, especially women and children.

“Terrorists Know No Religion”

Reflecting on the human cost of the conflict, Oba Ladoja noted that the persistent attacks have left many Nigerians aggrieved and resorting to self-help. He commended past and current administrations for their efforts to restore peace but warned that insecurity should not be viewed through religious or ethnic lenses.

“Former President Jonathan tried. Former President Muhammadu Buhari tried. President Bola Tinubu is trying. But terrorists do not know the difference between Muslims and Christians — they see everyone as prey,” the monarch said.

He appealed to the PFN leader to help calm aggrieved Christian communities, assuring that the current challenges will pass in due time. The monarch added that in the South-West, people of different faiths coexist peacefully, wondering why such harmony remains elusive in other parts of the country.

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Calls For Collaboration, Not Intervention

While acknowledging the frustrations of citizens, Oba Ladoja expressed concern about possible U.S. military involvement in Nigeria’s internal security affairs. He said collaboration and intelligence sharing would be more beneficial than direct foreign intervention.

“The majority of Nigerians want terrorism fought to a standstill,” he said. “But I do not welcome any foreign country dictating our internal affairs, except through collaboration.”

Bishop Wale Oke congratulated Oba Ladoja on his emergence as the 44th Olubadan and prayed for wisdom and strength to guide his reign for the peace and progress of Ibadanland.