By Christy Emeka
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), has suggested that the United States may be positioning itself to set up a military base in Nigeria.
Dambazu asserted this on Tuesday in Abuja at the 7th Annual Lecture of the Just Friends Club of Nigeria.
He pointed out that recent narratives by some foreign politicians and religious figures alleging persecution of Christians in Nigeria could be part of a broader external agenda.
The former Minister of Interior recalled that despite maintaining two military bases in Niger Republic for over a decade, the US failed to prevent the rise of insecurity in that country.
“In more than ten years of US presence in Niger, with two military bases, what did they do to stem the worsening security situation?” he asked.
Dambazau further noted that during the early period of Donald Trump’s return to office, some members of the US Congress accused USAID of funding terrorism in parts of Africa.
“I believe the US is now exploring an opportunity to establish an alternative base in Nigeria—a country it sees as strategically important—and it will pursue its interests by any means necessary, including the use of force,” he said, warning that “unfortunately, they already have willing collaborators in Nigeria.”
He stressed that terrorism in Nigeria targets both Muslims and Christians alike, citing incidents of mosque attacks, assassinations of Islamic clerics, and killings of traditional rulers as proof that insecurity cuts across religious divides.
Dambazau urged Nigerians to unite in confronting terrorism and resist any attempt by foreign powers to exploit the country’s internal divisions for their own strategic gain.
Discover more from NATIONAL BEAM
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
