Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has criticised US President Donald Trump over his threat to deploy American military forces to Nigeria, describing the remarks as evidence of a poor understanding of the country’s complex security landscape.
Soyinka spoke on Friday after a meeting with Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia in Makurdi.
The playwright argued that no foreign leader can simply wade into Nigeria’s security affairs without first appreciating the intricate factors driving the crisis. He faulted Trump for suggesting he would “come to help” Nigeria without any meaningful analysis.
“You don’t just open your mouth and say, ‘I’m coming to help you whether you like it or not… and I’m coming with violence from outside,’ with poor, almost non-existent analysis of the complexities of where the problem is,” Soyinka said.
He added that proclamations promising swift and aggressive action were deeply troubling.
“You say, ‘I’m coming to help you, I’m coming with guns a-blazing. And when we come in, it’s going to be fast, vicious and swift.’”
Soyinka reiterated his long-held view that Nigeria’s security challenges are not driven by religion but by violent extremists who manipulate faith for political and economic advantage.
He also stressed that while governments are obliged to protect their citizens, they must do so with sensitivity toward victims.
“Is that the language of somebody whose head is correct? Any government has an obligation to ensure the welfare of its citizens. But at least have some respect for victims and those trying to find solutions to the unacceptable situation.”
Trump had on October 31 redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged killings of Christians and warned that he could send U.S. forces if the attacks persisted.
President Bola Tinubu rejected the claim, saying it “does not reflect our national reality.”
On Thursday, US lawmakers, religious leaders, State Department officials and witnesses presented differing views during an open hearing of the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa on Trump’s decision.
