Fani-Kayode to Trump: Nigeria will resist any invasion threat

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Femi Fani-Kayode, former minister and outspoken public figure, has launched a blistering social-media reaction to public threats by U.S. President Donald Trump toward Nigeria, calling on Nigerians to ready themselves to defend the country’s sovereignty.

In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Fani-Kayode criticised the U.S. rhetoric as unjustified and urged national leaders and citizens to treat the matter with utmost seriousness.

Without using incendiary labels, Fani-Kayode described Trump’s statements as petulant and dangerous, and warned that external pressure framed around selective allegations risks provoking a national crisis.

He said Nigeria had been unfairly characterised by some overseas voices and argued that past international policies had at times contributed to instability in the region.

He also accused foreign actors of double standards in addressing violence elsewhere in the world.

Fani-Kayode questioned the Nigerian government’s reliance on reassurances from U.S. advisers, arguing that officials should weigh the harder realities of U.S. domestic politics and the influence of hardline elements within that country’s policymaking circles.

He urged the presidency to be circumspect and not to mistake conciliatory statements from some officials for a settled U.S. posture.

In his posts, Fani-Kayode relayed comments from a correspondent who described the threats as childish and provocative and suggested that if foreign forces attempted military action, Nigerians should resist.

He wrote that the crisis should serve as a wake-up call for Nigerian leaders and citizens to strengthen national resolve and unity.

He added that any foreign action framed as protecting a single community could inflame internal divisions and that Nigerians should not be passive in the face of threats to their territory.

The former minister emphasised spiritual and patriotic themes, invoking the need for national fortitude and collective dignity.

He warned against allowing international narratives to dictate Nigeria’s response to complex security challenges and urged that any external criticism be met with sober national reflection rather than emotional capitulation.

Fani-Kayode’s intervention comes amid heightened tensions following U.S. statements alleging targeted violence against religious communities in Nigeria.