Airstrike: US Acted Without Your Knowledge, PDP Slams FG, Condemns Late Disclosure Of Terror Strikes
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the Federal Government over the handling of information surrounding recent United States military airstrikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to properly inform Nigerians about critical security operations on its own soil.
In a statement issued on Friday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, described the development as a disturbing lapse in security communication and national leadership, noting that Nigerians were left to rely on foreign sources for updates on a sensitive counter-terrorism operation.
The criticism follows reports that news of the US military airstrikes against terrorists in Sokoto State was first disclosed to Americans and the international community through verified social media posts by US President Donald Trump and other American officials late Thursday night, several hours before Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the operation.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the opposition party faulted the Federal Government for failing to take the lead in announcing the strike, arguing that the delayed response created the impression that Nigerian authorities were either unprepared or unaware of developments within their territory.
According to the PDP, the Federal Government ought to have been the first to brief Nigerians, rather than merely confirming information that had already circulated widely.
Part of the statement read, “Nigerians were notified of the American strike on terrorists’ assets through the verified social media pages of President Trump and other American officials before the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a vague statement many hours later, offering a passive confirmation of the knowledge and cooperation of the Nigerian Government in the operation.
“While international cooperation in the fight against high crimes like terrorism is very much appreciated, the Peoples Democratic Party is deeply concerned about a communication structure where foreign powers break the news of security operations in our country before our government does.
“This inverted communication approach does not help the Federal Government or Nigerians in any way, especially when taken against the background that the US military has been reported to have previously entered and operated in Nigeria successfully without the permission and knowledge of the government.”
The PDP further called on the Federal Government to ensure that its defence engagement with the United States prioritises joint operations that strengthen Nigeria’s internal security capacity, rather than dependence on fully foreign-led military actions.
“The Federal Government should have been the first to report the news in order to properly sensitise the Nigerian populace, instead of waiting to confirm news already in public circulation, unless they were taken unawares like the rest of the citizens,” the party stated.
“We urge the Federal Government to ensure that the defence agreement with the United States of America includes joint operations, which will ultimately result in knowledge sharing and experiential learning to help Nigeria sustainably combat insecurity, rather than full externally-led ‘precision attacks’.”
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
