Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has appealed for strengthened diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the United States amid concerns raised by recent comments from former U.S. President Donald Trump on Nigeria’s security situation.
In a statement issued on Monday, November 3, 2025, by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the governor urged Washington to adopt constructive diplomacy and support Nigeria’s ongoing counter-terrorism efforts rather than impose punitive measures.
“I appeal to the Presidency of the United States of America to support Nigeria to fully implement the recently developed national security strategy,” Adeleke said.
“The new strategy is comprehensive and capable of taking on the monster of banditry and terroristic killings in many parts of the country.”
Adeleke expressed optimism that meaningful engagement between Abuja and Washington would strengthen existing cooperation and help curb the violence plaguing parts of Northern Nigeria.
“We need help from the United States and others to solve the terrorism challenge,” he said.
“A high-powered engagement at the presidential level will particularly open to the American government the ongoing security operations, successes and challenges Nigeria is facing in the fight against terrorism.”
The Osun State Governor stressed that peace and dialogue remained the best options for preserving Nigeria’s democracy, urging the U.S. to expand its technical and logistical support to Nigerian security agencies instead of considering interventionist measures.
Governor Adeleke also sympathised with families who have lost loved ones to terrorist and bandit attacks in the North, describing the killings as “unfortunate and deeply painful.”
He said Trump’s comments should serve as “a wake-up call” for Nigeria to rigorously enforce its new security framework through decisive but lawful counter-terrorism actions in collaboration with global allies.
“Nigeria suffers from unfortunate killings across Northern Nigeria which have claimed lives of many innocent citizens,” he said.
“We need our international partners to expand their support for the Nigerian security agencies and its political leadership to face national security challenges.”
The Osun governor lauded President Bola Tinubu’s administration for adopting a diplomatic approach to address the concerns of Western partners, especially the United States, describing the move as a “mature and responsible step.”
“Peaceful interface between Abuja and Washington holds the key rather than military intervention by the American government,” Adeleke stated.
He called on Nigeria’s political class to rally behind the Presidency in its efforts to de-escalate tensions and strengthen national unity.
Adeleke urged Nigerians across political divides to close ranks in support of the Federal Government’s efforts to secure the country and safeguard democratic values.
“This is the time to unite as a nation to support the national leadership to frontally address internal and external threats for the protection of the citizenry,” he said.
“We need peace, not war, to deepen our democracy and protect our citizens.”
News360 Info reports that the governor’s remarks follow heightened diplomatic unease after former U.S. President Donald Trump recently declared Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” citing alleged mass killings of Christians.
The Nigerian government has since sought to clarify its security efforts, describing the country’s challenges as terrorism-related rather than religiously motivated.
Adeleke’s statement adds a strong regional voice to calls for partnership-based engagement between Abuja and Washington as Nigeria continues to confront terrorism and banditry nationwide.
