Former Minister Sends Message to Trump After Nigerian Government’s Air Strike in Another Country
- Nigeria’s swift military intervention in Benin Republic drew praise abroad but sparked sharp questions at home
- Former Minister Solomon Dalung commended President Tinubu’s decisive action while criticising delays in tackling domestic insecurity
- His statement linked Nigeria’s foreign success to calls, including from President Trump, for urgent protection of citizens
Solomon Dalung, former Nigerian Minister of Youth, issued a statement on December 8 in which he described Nigeria’s military intervention in the Republic of Benin as swift and decisive.
He reported that in the early hours of Sunday, December 7, 2025, soldiers led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri staged a coup, seizing the national television station, dissolving democratic institutions, and closing the country’s borders.
Source: Twitter
Dalung said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, acting as Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, responded immediately by deploying air and ground forces across the border.
Within one hour, the Nigerian Air Force reportedly carried out aerial strikes on convoys believed to be transporting coup loyalists. According to Dalung, the operation was “quick, clinical, and effective,” restoring constitutional order and crushing the putsch.
Praise for Tinubu’s leadership
Dalung commended President Tinubu for his decisive action, noting that the intervention reaffirmed Nigeria’s role as a stabilising force in West Africa. He said Tinubu’s move demonstrated Nigeria’s historic responsibility as a guardian of democratic norms in the region.
Despite praising the intervention, Dalung raised concerns about Nigeria’s domestic security challenges. He questioned why similar urgency had not been applied to tackling terrorism, banditry, and kidnappings within Nigeria.
He asked why Brigadier General Musa Uba had been left vulnerable in the forest before being recaptured and executed by ISWAP, and why Nigerian forces had failed to rescue hundreds of schoolchildren kidnapped in Niger State. Dalung argued that the same coordination used in Benin Republic was absent in areas such as Sambisa Forest, Plateau, Zamfara, Niger, and Kaduna.
Criticism of government priorities
Dalung suggested that Nigeria’s insecurity persisted not because of incapacity but due to institutional hesitation or political choices. He said the government’s ability to mobilise rapidly abroad undermined claims of helplessness at home.
He warned that the impression created was that protecting democracy in another country appeared more urgent than safeguarding Nigerian lives and territory.
International law and Trump’s position
Dalung pointed to international law, stating that a government “unwilling or unable to protect its citizens from mass atrocities” risked external intervention under the doctrine of collective self-defence. He said Tinubu’s swift action in Benin, contrasted with slow responses to domestic crises, aligned with global perceptions that Nigeria was reluctant to confront terrorism.
Dalung added that this view validated foreign voices, including President Trump, who had argued that outside assistance might soon be necessary to defend Nigerians where their government had failed.
Call for equal urgency at home
In his conclusion, Dalung urged the Nigerian government to apply the same energy and courage used in Benin Republic to domestic security. He said:
“Let the fighter jets that flew into Cotonou also roar over Sambisa. Let the boots that marched for Benin march for Chibok, Kachia, Mangu and Kontagora. National strength is not measured only abroad, it is proven at home.”
See the full statement below:
"CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT TINUBU FOR INTERVENTION IN BENIN REPUBLIC, NOW TRUMP IS WELCOME.
"The early hours of Sunday, 7th December 2025, witnessed a sudden military putsch in the Republic of Benin. Soldiers led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri seized the national television station, announced the dissolution of democratic institutions, and ordered the closure of airspace and land borders. In what appeared to be a decisive display of regional leadership, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, swiftly deployed air assets and ground troops across the border.
"Within one hour, the Nigerian Air Force reportedly executed coordinated aerial strikes on convoys believed to be transporting coup loyalists. The operation was quick, clinical, and effective. The putsch was crushed, stability restored, and constitutional order reinstated. For this prompt action, President Tinubu deserves commendation. His intervention reaffirmed Nigeria’s historic role as a backbone of West African stability and guardian of democratic norms in the sub-region.
"However, this success story raises uncomfortable but important questions about the Federal Government’s commitment to combating terrorism, banditry, and internal insecurity within Nigeria. If we possessed such air power, tactical response capacity, and elite strike forces all along, why have we watched terrorists ravage communities, kidnap schoolchildren, and murder citizens daily without equivalent urgency? Why was Brigadier General Musa Uba left abandoned in the forest for days, only for his location to be compromised and he subsequently recaptured and executed by ISWAP?
"The nation is forced to ask why the same swift coordination used in Benin Republic is absent in Sambisa Forest, Plateau, Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna and other theatres where terrorists operate freely. Why can fighter jets neutralize coup plotters in another sovereign state, yet fail to locate and dismantle insurgent enclaves within our borders? Are we saying Nigerian forces can cross borders under 24 hours to restore democracy abroad, but cannot rescue over 300 schoolchildren kidnapped in Niger State or thousands languishing in captivity across the North?
"These contradictions suggest that Nigeria’s insecurity persists not necessarily due to incapacity, but because of institutional hesitation or deliberate political choices. A government that can mobilize rapidly beyond its borders cannot convincingly argue helplessness at home. The painful impression is that protecting foreign democracy appears more urgent than protecting Nigerian lives, dignity, and territorial integrity.
"Under international law, a state that is “unwilling or unable to protect its citizens from mass atrocities” risks inviting external intervention under the doctrine of collective self-defence. President Tinubu’s swift action in Benin, contrasted with slow responses to mass killings and kidnappings at home, unfortunately aligns with the global perception that Nigeria is unwilling to decisively confront terrorism. It therefore validates foreign voices, including President Trump, who argue that outside assistance may soon become necessary to defend Nigerians where their government has failed.
"In conclusion, while we applaud the restoration of democracy in Benin Republic, we demand the same energy, courage and urgency to secure Nigerian citizens. Let the fighter jets that flew into Cotonou also roar over Sambisa. Let the boots that marched for Benin march for Chibok, Kachia, Mangu and Kontagora. National strength is not measured only abroad, it is proven at home."
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