President Bola Tibubu has made it known that he’s on board with Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi’s recommendation of Turkey for the fight against terrorism.
Gumi had protested against the ongoing United States’ military action in Nigeria and urged the federal government to withdraw its cooperation with the country in the onslaught against terrorism and turn to “neutral countries” like China, Turkey, and Pakistan for collaboration.
“As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theater of war. And no nation should allow its neighbors to be their enemies. If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey, and Pakistan can do the job effectively.
“The US involvement in Nigeria will attract the real anti-US forces, making our land the theater of war,” he advised.
It has now come to light that President Bola Tinubu is on the same page with the controversial cleric concerning his advice on Turkey.
The President on Friday at a meeting with a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria, led by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, at his Lagos residence said his government had approached Turkey for help in tackling challenges of insecurity confronting Nigeria, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Onanuga said Tinubu also told his guests other things in a statement he released where he quoted him as saying, “The mood of the nation is peaceful, although our ungoverned spaces are so large. The challenge is real, but we will surmount it. We are very religious. We are prayer warriors. We need your focus, vigilance, and cooperation.
“Community and State Police will be a reality once the National Assembly completes the required legislative inputs; Military hardware is difficult to replace. It is expensive and not available off the shelf.
“Our orders for four attack helicopters from the United States of America will take some time to arrive. We have approached Turkey for assistance.”
