By Aminu Adamu
A prominent Nigerian security analyst and human rights lawyer, Bulama Bukarti, has said Nigeria did not willingly agree to recent United States airstrikes linked to counterterrorism operations, but was instead pressured into cooperation by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Mr Bukarti made the remarks during a live interview on TRT World, where he analysed the diplomatic tensions surrounding the strikes and questioned both their legality and effectiveness.
Speaking from London, Mr Bukarti said Nigeria’s official response to the airstrikes revealed clear reluctance and discomfort, contrasting sharply with the triumphant tone adopted by the Trump administration.
“If you look at the Nigerian government’s statement and compare it with how the Trump administration characterised the strikes, you see a clear misalignment,” he said. “Nigeria was very reluctant and unhappy with the way the strikes were described. To say the least, the Nigerian government was not comfortable.”
According to him, Nigeria was effectively coerced into acquiescing to the operation.
“I think Nigeria was held at gunpoint,” Mr Bukarti said. “It was either they agreed or the Trump administration would go ahead without their approval. So they were forced to allow what happened.”
Preference for capacity-building, not foreign intervention
Mr Bukarti stressed that Nigeria’s preference has long been for international partners, particularly the United States, to support local capacity rather than carry out direct military action.
“What Nigeria would have preferred is building local capacity,” he said. “Helping with intelligence, equipment, fighter jets, arms, and ammunition, so that Nigeria leads the fight, not the U.S. intervening in the way it did.”
He argued that the strikes exposed deep mutual distrust between Nigeria and the United States, worsened by what he described as inflammatory and misleading comments by Mr Trump about Nigeria’s security situation in recent months.
“The Nigerian government doesn’t trust the U.S., especially after Trump’s comments that misrepresented the situation on the ground and escalated tensions,” he said. “At the same time, I don’t think the Trump administration trusts anyone, including its own allies.”
A record of failure, and growing frustration
While criticising U.S. intervention, Mr Bukarti acknowledged that successive Nigerian administrations have failed to contain the spread of terrorism and criminal violence across the country.
“Every government over the past one and a half decades promised to restore security, and the situation has only escalated,” he said. “Nigerians are frustrated, and the government itself recognises that it needs help.”
However, he said the kind of help initially proposed by the Trump administration, including unilateral military action, was unacceptable to Nigerians.
“It was only after extensive diplomatic engagement and strong public resistance from Nigerians, who said they would not accept unilateral military action, that the strikes were carried out in coordination with Nigeria,” he said.
Civilian sites reportedly hit
Mr Bukarti also cast doubt on claims by the Trump administration that the airstrikes were successful, describing them as imprecise and unsupported by evidence.
“There is no evidence produced by either the U.S. or Nigerian government that any terrorist camp was hit,” he said. “In fact, the only evidence we have suggests civilian locations were struck.”
He cited reports that one strike in Sokoto State hit an onion farm near a primary healthcare centre, while another in Kwara State reportedly struck an Eid prayer ground and destroyed a hotel known as Solid Worth Hotel.
“Even if airstrikes succeed, they only temporarily degrade leadership and logistics,” he said. “They do not root out terrorism. There is a guarantee that terrorism will not be ended by airstrikes alone.”
Call for Nigerian-led solutions
Mr Bukarti warned that foreign-led military action, especially without credible intelligence and local leadership, risks worsening insecurity rather than resolving it.
“The United States and Western allies need to show humility,” he said. “You cannot tell host countries what they need. Nigeria should define what support it wants and how that support is delivered.”
He added that any meaningful counterterrorism strategy must be part of a broader, Nigerian-led framework combining intelligence, logistics, and rapid response capabilities.
“Even if these strikes had succeeded, they must be led by Nigeria,” he said. “Nigeria cannot be treated as a playground for foreign military experimentation.”
The Nigerian government has not publicly released details of the airstrikes or addressed claims of civilian casualties at the time of filing this report.
