Senator Barau Jibrin, the Deputy Senate President, has criticized US President Donald Trump for calling Nigeria a shame.
This comes as the Northern Elders’ Forum and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria have both criticized Trump for jeopardizing Nigeria’s sovereignty.
While NEF condemned a “dangerous pattern of foreign interference,” Miyetti Allah expressed fury at attempts to link the organization to terrorism and religious extremism.
In a recent White House briefing, Trump promised to “take decisive action” if the massacre of Christians in Nigeria continues.
Jibrin slammed Trump’s military threat, calling it “un-American” and “a violation of international law.”
In a viral video that trended on Friday, the Deputy Senate President stated, “But for now, for the president of the United States to come in and say, ‘Oh, you are doing this, and we are going to attack you, and Nigeria is a disgraced country’—this is quite unacceptable.”
“We feel that he should understand and then retract that statement and apologize to Nigeria.”
He contended that the American leader’s remarks violated diplomatic protocol and established international law.
“It’s against international law. Whatever you feel about our country, follow the legal route. Go to the United Nations, get a resolution there, and then anything can come later. To bypass that route is quite unacceptable. It’s un-American,” he stated.
Jibrin, who spoke passionately before a gathering that applauded him, stated that Nigeria would not be intimidated by Trump’s threats.
“We are not scared to say the truth. We are not scared of telling Trump the truth. If he were here, I would tell him he has gone against international law and that the route he’s taking is not the best one to take,” he added.
Also speaking, the NEF spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, warned that northern leaders and the people of the region would not tolerate any form of external meddling in the country’s affairs under the pretext of fighting insecurity.
“Nigeria is not an appendage of America. Donald Trump is violating international treaties of the United Nations on the principle of non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries. And we here in the North are not going to tolerate that,” Jiddere said.
He blamed the United States for inciting instability in various nations it claimed to have assisted, mentioning Iraq, Libya, Sudan, and Afghanistan as examples of American intervention causing chaos and suffering.
According to him, Washington’s interest in Nigeria is economic rather than humanitarian.
The NEF official insisted that Nigeria remained a sovereign country capable of dealing with its domestic issues.
He emphasized that while international assistance was welcome, it must respect the country’s independence and constitution.
He denounced allegations of genocide against Christians as “false narratives aimed at destabilizing the country.”
MACBAN also criticized the US House of Representatives’ resolution seeking sanctions against the organization for alleged abuses of religious freedom.
Alhaji Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, National President of MACBAN, described the claims as “baseless and malicious” and expressed concern that the association’s name was being dragged into what he called a politically motivated campaign.
“This is a very serious allegation coming from the US Congress. We are surprised to be included in such an allegation,” he said.
MACBAN’s chairman, Othman-Ngelzarma, stated that Miyetti Allah is a law-abiding organization that represents pastoralists in Nigeria and has no affiliation with any criminal gang.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
