ABUJA, Nigeria – In a heated debate surrounding national security and foreign military presence, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has argued that hosting US and French military bases could be more beneficial for Nigeria than allowing extremist groups like Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen militia to continue their devastation unchecked.
This statement came in response to concerns raised by some Northern leaders who cautioned against relocating US and French military installations from the Sahel to Nigeria.
The concerned Northern elders, including prominent academics and former government officials, issued an open letter to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly, urging the government to resist international pressures which they believe could compromise Nigeria’s sovereignty and internal security.
They highlighted the failure of existing military bases in the Sahel to curb terrorism effectively and expressed fears about the potential long-term consequences of such foreign military alliances.
Despite these concerns, in a statement last week, HURIWA advocated for the establishment of these bases, provided they expedite the fight against terrorism in Nigeria.
“The establishment of military bases by USA and France could likely positively fastrack the war on terror and may lead to the existential demolition of the Islamic extremist groups and terrorists,” said Emmanuel Onwubiko, national coordinator for HURIWA.
This divisive issue has sparked a broader debate about Nigeria’s strategic interests and its role in regional stability.
As Nigeria continues to navigate its complex security landscape, the decisions made in the coming days will have significant implications for the country’s sovereignty and its ongoing battle against terrorism.
The government’s response to these internal and external pressures could reshape Nigeria’s foreign policy and its role in global geopolitical dynamics.
“It is a common knowledge that the American and French governments have been desperately lobbying the governments of Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana to agree to sign new defense pacts that would enable them to redeploy their soldiers expelled from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger,” a group of Northern Nigerian elders wrote in an open letter to Tinubu.
Among the elders are Abubakar Siddique Mohammed of the Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training, CEDDERT, Zaria; Kabiru Sulaiman Chafe of Arewa Research and Development Project, ARDP, Kaduna; Attahiru Muhammadu Jega of Bayero University, Kano; and Jibrin Ibrahim of Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, Abuja.
“Some of the troops have been redeployed to Chad but France and United States prefer countries of the Gulf of Guinea that are more strategically located to serve their interests in the central zone of the Sahel. Of the countries in the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria turns out to be the most strategically located.
“There are indications that the Nigerian Government may be favourably disposed to the proposed defense pact. However, there is a widespread apprehension that signing of the pact by Nigeria would have wide-ranging implications for defense and internal security of the country.
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