PDP slams FG over US disclosure of terror strikes before Nigeria

The Peoples Democratic Party has criticised the Federal Government for allowing the United States to disclose details of terror strikes carried out on Nigerian soil before Nigerian authorities addressed the nation, describing the development as a disturbing failure of security communication and national leadership.

In a statement issued on Friday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, observed that the Federal Government’s delayed reaction forced Nigerians to depend on foreign sources for updates on critical security operations taking place within their own territory.

PUNCH Online reports that the criticism comes amid reports that news of the United States military strikes against terrorists in Sokoto State, Nigeria, was first made public 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 issued a statement acknowledging the operation.

PDP said the FG ought to have led in announcing the development to properly inform Nigerians, rather than belatedly confirming reports already in the public domain.

The statement partly 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 opposition party called on the Federal Government to ensure that its defence pact with the United States prioritises joint operations that promote capacity building, rather than relying on wholly foreign-led precision strikes.

It stated, “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.

“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’.”