Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against holding a diplomatic meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, warning that such engagement could expose the Nigerian leader to “verbal and savage assault.”
Gatekeepers News reports that Fani-Kayode, who described the proposed meeting as “baffling,” alleged that Trump’s real agenda was to instigate a religious war in Nigeria and exploit the country’s natural resources — a move he termed “a direct threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty.”
The former minister made the remarks while delivering a keynote address at the 2025 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Akure Branch, themed “Nigeria: Quest for Utilitarian Judiciary and Roles for Stakeholders.”
His comments follow reports that President Tinubu and President Trump may meet soon to discuss alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria — an issue raised by Trump after ordering the U.S. Department of War to “prepare for action” against Islamist militant groups in the country.
Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, had earlier confirmed that the two leaders would meet to address what Washington described as “Christian genocide.”
In his address titled “Bow to God and Not to Trump,” Fani-Kayode urged the President to reject any talks with the U.S. leader and instead focus on eliminating all terrorist groups operating within Nigeria.
“The solution to the problem is for our political leadership and Armed Forces to muster the resolve and political will to ruthlessly wipe out the Islamist terrorists and foreign militias once and for all,” he said. “That is an obligation that falls on the shoulders of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alone, and he must honour it.”
The former minister insisted that Nigeria must respond with strength, not diplomacy, to insecurity.
“The world and the Nigerian people want to see concrete action and the implementation of extraordinarily ruthless, violent and aggressive methods, not just long talk, promises or platitudes from government officials,” he declared.
Fani-Kayode further accused Western powers, including the United States, of fostering global terrorism.
“They (the U.S.) created Al-Qaeda, they created ISIS, they created Al-Nusra, they created Boko Haram, they created Al-Shabaab and they created Al-Ansaru. They fund them, they support them to destabilise countries like us. But we’ve stood up to that over the years, and we’ve done very well as a country,” he said. “In spite of all they’ve done, we’re still together, and we’ll fight this menace to its logical conclusion.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the NBA Akure Branch, Friday Umar, called on legal practitioners to uphold the integrity of the judiciary and strengthen public confidence in the justice system.
“The quest for a utilitarian judiciary is not just a desire but a necessity for our nation’s progress,” he said. “We must ensure that our judicial system is people-centric, efficient, and accessible to all.”
Declaring the event open, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kayode Ajulo (SAN), lauded the legal profession as the “bedrock of civilisation” and a vital pillar of democracy.
“Every thriving democracy rests on the backbone of a functional legal system,” Aiyedatiwa said. “The contributions of the Bar and the Bench to political order, social balance and economic advancement cannot be overemphasised.”
