US, China’s Role In Nigeria Security And Economic Growth + More | Inside Sources

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:10]Hello out there. My name is Lau A and you are on to Inside Sources.

[00:00:19]But first, here is my tape for today entitled Recording Time for Our Federal Lawmakers.

[00:00:26]Now there's a brand new portal dedicated to monitor good governance in Nigeria while also promoting transparency and the imperative of accountability in government. That portal GFTA has released a very insightful national assembly performance ranking just in time as the party primaries for next year's elections are ongoing. Now the pattern is that the number of incubent national assembly members not winning re-election is increasing with each electoral cycle in national assembly.

[00:01:06]For instance, in 2019 20 APC senators and majority of 252 house of reps members across parties lost the re-election battles. In 2023, 37 APC members who were in the National Assembly lost out 14 senators and 23 representatives. And so far in 2026 regarding the primary already 70 APC National Assembly members have lost out that is 12 senators and 58 representatives. So the trend is upward with 2026 already nearly doubling the 2023 records. But the first major question from what gas released recently is this.

[00:02:00]Why are the National Assembly and many state houses of assembly not making lawmakers attendance records public?

[00:02:10]Why are they not making it consistently accessible to the people? They had to because ultimately these lawmakers were elected by the people. Citizens voted them into office to represent them to sponsor bills to debate the laws and to oversee the government activities generally. So why should Nigerians struggle to know and get information whether people that they elected are attending the job whether they are showing up in the chambers or not? Why should that be a big deal? Recently, governors attempted to provide a glimpse into legislative productivity across the Senate and the House of Representatives and also in the state houses of assembly and the results that govern has given us is quite revealing. Some lawmakers recorded notable visibility and and respectable legislative activity in the Senate. Names such as Amed Lawan, Goss with Apabio and Simon Long. They ranked among the better performers. In the House of Representatives, we have lawmakers like Tajin Abbas, Kingsley Chinda, Benjamin Kalu and Abodu Falke also doing quite very well with attendance and bills sponsorship and we also have members such as Abdul Samad Dasuki known for his courage calling attention to issues of public interest.

[00:03:46]But Gas in their ranking had some very worrying information for us. For instance, several lawmakers reportedly recorded zero bills sponsored. Zero.

[00:04:01]And zero performance scores altogether.

[00:04:06]Now that is a serious thing. Now whether every detail of those rankings by governors is accepted or disputed is not even the main issue here. The bigger issue is transparency.

[00:04:19]Why should Nigerians depend on independent organizations before they can know whether their lawmakers that they elected are attending plenary or whether they are sponsoring bills or not?

[00:04:33]Why are attendance records not updated publicly and regularly by the legislature itself? Why aren't they telling Nigerians regularly about these things? After all, democracy works best when citizens can measure the performance. That's the whole point of democracy. Government of the people, for the people, by the people. We must thank governors for bringing out these issues in the circumstances. But normally Nigerians should be able to easily access attendance records, bill sponsors, committee work, oversight activities and the impact of the lawmakers in their constituencies because representation is not just a symbol. It is a job. This is work. Now this doesn't mean that attendance alone should become the standard. Yes, lawmakers must show up, but attendance without contribution is also a problem.

[00:05:34]Nigerians must demand both the presence of their lawmakers and their performance in the job to which they've been elected because a lawmaker who attends regularly but contributes little is almost as pointless as one who never showed up at all. And perhaps the time has now come for legislative transparency in Nigeria to become not a privilege that governors and such organizations will have to dole out as if it's a favor but a public obligation to gauge the level of engagement and productivity of our representatives. You can visit GFA's website which is go ov satz.com that is go ov satz.com.

[00:06:25]It's a homegrown civic engagement platform with a social media design style and philosophy that resonates with the youth and the platform aims to facilitate public interaction with office holders and hold them accountable and that is what we are interested in.

[00:06:43]Our lawmakers just like all elective and appointed public officials have to be held accountable and they must operate in a transparent way. And there you have it, Inside Sources Ghostful Blast after this.

[00:07:02]Welcome back to Inside Sources. Today I'm leading the show with a conversation on the recent developments regarding US and Nigeria military strikes against terrorists. First we had over the weekend last week and then after that subsequent attacks. Now we want to look at the global dimension in terms of social, economic and political uh issues that are involved. To join me in that conversation, I have the G Moa professor of social ethics from the Boston University who is also the director of the African uh studies. I'd like to welcome back to Insight Sources, Professor Nimi Wariboko. Prof. Good to see you again.

[00:07:44]>> Oh, thank you Land. I'm I'm glad to be here.

[00:07:48]>> Thank you, sir. Let's start this way. Uh quite a bit of uh international balls are greeted. what happened I believe Friday night last week uh when both presidents of Nigeria and America gave the information that uh you know the the the deputy uh leader of Islamic State is has been uh knocked out you know eliminated with the number of his lieutenants now um we're going to look at some of the details but I want to ask in your own view uh in and and based on some of the things that we have discussed in the past about this how do you you know the latest development or the latest set of development >> as as far as operation is concerned one could immediately see three ways of reading it. One it shows that Nigerian in um intelligence have have increased their their capacity to locate and strike target.

[00:08:50]So, so one has to give them credit for that. But it um on another level, it also shows that Nigeria US military corporation has um as deepened.

[00:09:04]And then thirdly, it it shows that the ISIL and I swab leadership are vulnerable um if actually the Nigerian government is determined to do something. These people are not ghost. So at least from operation point of view it is it is that but then once you move beyond the operation you begin to ask what is implication of this for the political calculations for for 202 um 7 because people are going to ask this uh question. How is the um president going to spin it when the campaign actually starts and and how is that going to affect and how will this affect the overall US uh Nigeria relationship going forward?

[00:09:57]>> All right. So yeah, I mean you you you've laid out some of the issues that I'm also interested in. But before we get to the uh the political campaign and the narratives that might come out of it, uh let's first of all look at the global dimension and then we will do tail, you know, to political impression in Nigeria. Now uh some of the international commentators that I have uh he had talk about this you know that is a little bit sh of western influence uh said that what is happening in Nigeria is that Nigeria uh has gotten the attention you know uh of of of the American government and the Chinese government that there's a bit of uh contention you over Nigeria and and the way this particular commentator you know is called unfiltered news is all over the place on social media and and he thinks that this is a good thing for Nigeria that that Nigeria is getting you know the benefit from the Americans getting the the the the military benefit from the Americans you know who are now uh you know deploying uh the American military might to go after Nigeria's existential problem and then Nigeria is also getting from the Chinese uh quite a bit of economic investment and support uh in terms of the engagement that has been going on uh you know between China and Nigeria. Do you agree with this perspective or or how do you how would you rather look at it prof I mean the way to look at it um it's um sort of the good the bad and the and the ugly I mean the good side is that wherever the country can get help to deal with the terrorist miners in in Nigeria yeah we should yeah appreciate it right so that is the good part of it right that and and even if from the economic side if if we can get some help from China to do to to advance our economic goal that is also good but the bad side is that it tells us right from independence that we never had the real sense of of sovereignty right our sovereignty has always been controlled by people from outside so whether it was Britain and and then later the the Brettwood institution And now the United States or China, it's it's a sad reminder that that we've not really gotten a grip over over our sovereignty to to determine our fate.

[00:12:39]The the idea of sovereignty as part of selfdetermination has not really been our lot. And and and and so we have now become the grass that is cut between two elephants. and and so whether they make love or they fight the grass suffers. So, so eventually we should never lose that perspective that these two powers are are not there because they h father Christmas that they love us.

[00:13:11]They're there for their personal interest to exploit us to oppress us and to to settle their own quarrel for their own national interest. So that is the bad side. Now the ugly side of the whole thing is that uh small medium nations when they um they are small and they are rising or they have the potential to rise will go through this kind of attention or quote unquote operation from the um from established power from the great power.

[00:13:47]But if they have a leadership or leaders that can know where they are at that moment and exploit that situation for their own advancement. But the ugly fact about Nigeria is that we are not sure what the government at various level from the federal to the local government will get out of this in terms of fulfilling our future goals. So, so, so, so that is the ugliest part of it that that in the international sc it over the smaller nations. That is a fact. And countries that have not fully established the economic mind and military mind are are the BS of the of the greater power. But it's the onus is upon them to say how do we plan ourselves so that we get the best out of this thing and we don't be in this perpetual situation for forever.

[00:14:43]Remember, China, Britain insisted on selling opium and that led to the opium war >> and China was was was helpless or almost almost helpless. But they learn from that and from that time on and with the communist they make a determination to be somewhere. But we are not it appears we've not even set our um our minds on a particular goal and we're not even on the road to anywhere. M >> and and and and and that's the that is the sad uh point uh prov that you just hit on that it seems that a lot of our national uh narrative is around how to get power you know and it has become it seems that we are so obsessed with the with how to get power that we even becoming desensitized you know if you look at the the the level of insecurity you know some of the extreme violence that has been going on and uh and you don't see you don't see among our politicians a a sufficient demonstration of even empathy and and and uh you know some some milk of human mind of where what is called the milk of human kindness to the gory and gruesome uh killings of Nigerian citizens.

[00:16:07]Instead, you see a lot a lot of focus, a lot of braggado, a lot of braadisio about we're going to get the power, we're going to keep the power. How do you think this will pan out with the level of insecurity in the country, you know, and then the the the closeness of the elections? I wanted to answer that question and then we come back to how uh the American uh you know you know working with us on this military what seems to be some kind of advance we affect 2027 but first you know just give me your take how do you think you know this will pan out so much insecurity and then so much focus on politics well I mean so what has happened um that they've succeeded in taking out the number two% of the almanaki That is good. But but if but the true fact that we should focus on is that there is still insecurity um yeah in the country and an organization like ISL are still funding theirel through ransom that they get from kidnapping. There is still insecurity in the company. At the end of the day, if this is all they have to show, I don't think it will change the mind of Nigerians to feel that their country is secure and therefore the government has done a great job in terms of addressing the insecurity kidnapping issue. So, so if this all they do because people are going to put it in context between now and the election, uh will Nigerians feel safer? Will the level of insecurity uh come down with kidnapping uh h come down if they do that?

[00:17:54]So if if this become the beginning of a consistent uh project of addressing security in a way that the average Nigerians on the street can feel it then this is a a good beginning otherwise it become a flash in the pan just for I mean I don't want to diminish the security part of what they've done but but it will end up like it's it's it's for a show because at the end of the day it has no foundation it has no tell us it is going nowhere because it will become one of thing. But the other issue about politics is is is is that and and and this connects politics insecurity and um and the economy years ago 2012 or so when I was privileged to do consulting for General Zazi who was a national security adviser and one of the project I worked on I talked with him and his team a lot. I said what is the economic dimensions of national security? Because our security agency, the military, the police tend to think of ammunition uh um other um guns and and and other things. But poverty, economic poverty is the greatest threat to the country because part of this security is linked to that situation.

[00:19:19]the the recruitment process of our young men and women into the terrorist organization is based on that. So so as long as we have governments that have not really lifted Nigerians out of p poverty are not addressing the economic side then we are not really seriously focused on addressing on addressing insecurity. So my advice to to the government is that yes it can take out many leaders of of would will clap for you but if you ignore the economic dimensions of national security it's a problem because and that also connects to uh politics right the reason a good number of Nigerians don't feel patriotic they don't feel that they belong to Nigeria is because of the economic hardship that you you you you grow up in a country that decimates your economic pro prospect and therefore you are not committed. So you're not even committed to fighting the insecurity side by side with the government because you feel that you the government has left you until the government begins to focus on the fact that it could address this insecurity and also secure it reputation, its future, it election if it begins to show concrete result in the economic well-being of Nigerians.

[00:20:40]So, so, so just to take it from there, u the the elections that we're talking about is going to be in January, just about roughly 7 months to go. I I wanted to ask you, have you seen, you know, uh any uh serious uh uh commitment from the government of the day to do what you have said? And also, have you seen any serious uh articulation of an alternative to this problem from the opposition? I mean, the the the folks that are that are trying to, you know, uh stand for election and run against the the the president. Have you seen on either side you know the incubment and the opposition have you seen some serious commitment on the part of government or articulation on the part of opposition of an understanding of how to bridge uh that economic aspect you know the e economic part of the insecurity of which you spoke.

[00:21:40]The the the short answer is that have not seen have not heard and it has not come into the minds of the politician of what they should do.

[00:21:52]>> Allah halah the Bible. Okay. You know, so if if we are waiting to hear such things from them, then we should we hear it on the day we are told that the fowl has grown tit >> because you see in in Nigeria politics is about acquiring power and acquiring power for power's sake, right? So there's um first the government has embarked on a lot of issues and doctrine but the way I judge is that like one of my professor at Princeton you you you used to tell me said where does it touch the ground?

[00:22:39]Where do their economic policies or program touch the ground? It means how is it affecting the life of the average Nigerian? Can the Nigerian today say that their lives are better off today than it was four years ago >> or so so that is the issue because if you are doing economic policy and you and you just look at me statistics or what the policy experts are saying and you're not uh discerning or gauging the actual well-being of the people. let them come out and tell us that that the well-being of the a the economic well-being of the of the average Nigerian has improved or even the middle class >> sometimes even the upper class. So so so so we are seeing an a situation of equal opportunity of impoverizing yeah everyone uh yeah yeah yeah in the country then but there's also the issue of communication they have not you may not be able to achieve all all you want but there is no great articulation a vision that will carry Nigeria to say okay let us endure the pains today because tomorrow is going to be better. They've not articulated it and perhaps the the different politicians, the governments don't have the credibility for uh for us to even believe that we are going somewhere with them. Now take take for example the president in the campaign in 2023 222 said if I don't give you electricity >> when I come back to ask you don't vote for me right now we don't need any engineer to tell us that the electricity situation has not improved now we don't know what has taken place but what we know is that the situation has not improved now if the If it's a government that is very articulate, they should the president and his men over should say I promise you own up to that. I promise you electricity and I've not delivered but this is what I've done and this is what I'm going to do and this is where we are going or so but it seems to be there's a silence there's a graveyard silence hoping that we all would suffer ammonia and and and forget what has been said. See that is the issue of articul. We're not talking about many things. That was a great uh a promise, a binding promise that the president made. Fine, it has not happened. Come to us and explain why it has not happened and what is the plan that you have to to make it happen because that is a a crucial thing.

[00:25:34]Israation is on the line, right? And we've gone this over the the APC made the same promise against good luck that when they come to power they're going to give us 8 years of buas but the president uh came in and people believed him that it we could get electricity. Electricity is an old technology. Why is it taking us such a difficult time to to get it even if we don't get to 100% everybody? Why can't you achieve few 50%. Meaning that half of the day Nigerians have electricity >> but that has not happened and that is goes to the issue of articulation. As far as the other politicians are concerned, they are just they're talking about how to zone regions and accusing themselves, but you hardly get a clear articulate definition of what they intend to do. They just they think that they will get the power and then the thinking will will come late later. So so there's really no debate. Nigerian election has never been about debates about policy or policy direction. It's it's about who gets to h get the power and use the state as their means of production. Simple. So it's a fight among the elites to control the levels of government for the sake of accumulating wealth. If anybody thought that elections are about helping Nigerians, the the person's head should be should be re-examined.

[00:27:14]>> Okay? you know um since we're already on politics I'll ask uh one more question and then I will conclude with a question uh on the the the the deepening of the relationship between Nigeria and America you know we conclude like that but let's finish this discussion on the political part so in your own view do you think that the opposition is sufficiently well organized I mean you are based in in the United States there's a quite a bit of Nigerian community in the diaspora over What is the what what what what is the narrative? What's your narrative? And then what's the narrative among Nigerian people regarding the opposition? I mean lately we had Mr. Peter Obi who who was the Labour party president candidate in 2023 who did exceedingly more than anybody thought in that election even though he didn't win but you know put up quite a bit of a stunt. Now since that time he's left uh LP went to uh ADC and then about two weeks ago after they all met in the said we have a singular one single presidential candidate for the opposition went to join NDC in your view you know uh what what what is going on are they well organized?

[00:28:32]So my um my thinking and talk talking to other Nigerians here is clear that the opposition is not organized or they're not organized in a way to give anybody the confidence that they can take out.

[00:28:47]>> People are increasingly coming to the conclusion that the man may win um yeah a second time. Of course, um the idea that it might win is also based on the fact that we know how elections are conducted. If you are the incubent and you have the powers of the state, things tend to work in your favor or their use in your favor. But the opposition is not organized. They are fragmented on on on different level or level of ethnicity or or all sorts of things. They are not organized and they've not come out with a vision or policy framework that will energize and mobilize Nigerians to to follow. A lot of people have are have only one candidate out of grief or or some kind of recent more but but but not really because they pulled forward by a vision yeah of a change but also from the it's not only the fault of the politician like PTO or Amishi and all these other people I've not seen enough of anger anx and organization from the part of of the followers in Nigeria to to say are they themselves organized being mobilized in a way that they can they can they can remove vote out the the government if they if the government in office to install a new one or they can resist the the the use of the apparatuses of state to to continue in the office. I'm I'm not getting that sense that there'll be a massive turnout of voters organized and determined to make a change. At the end of the day, they may get the the same fractionalized along religious line, ethnic lines and and other sorts of divisions have have always be deeled the country. Now you you say if the opposition is well organized that is their duty to mobilize the followership but that's a problem and and you and I and others are going to be in a talk uh next week addressing this issue of of followership in Nigeria. So it's not only the the the case of um the leaders opposition not doing well. Do we have credible determined followership or citizenship that that that is saying to the south we want our country back >> and I don't get that sense that that is happening is bubbling up from the grassroot.

[00:31:40]>> I'm yet to read that. Yeah, that that that that's a very important point uh that you made right there and of course uh like you said it's something that people such as retired general Williams has been very passionate about.

[00:31:55]He has spoken about it on this program several times and yes you're right that next week is is NGO panstra and empowered newswire they're going to be holding uh a national uh conference on the responsibility of followers in in in a lot of this situation very important point uh there but let's let's uh let me ask you one more question on on politics and then we wrap up you know on this US Nigerian relationship you are from River State um uh the the governor, you know, uh Fubara, uh people such as Tony Cole, you know, uh both of them from the APC have said, "Hey, you know what? We're just going to step down." And you have a situation where Mr. Wikked who who is a PDP member in an APC government uh seems to be the one that is going to determine what happens. How do you think that is going to uh affect the fortune and the future of River State?

[00:33:00]>> Well, I mean since this saga started, River State has been like a a joke in terms of politics, right? We we had talked about it is is very unfortunate what is happening. Um um yeah, a reverse state for a state that um people fought to establish it because u um in the in the politics of 1940s and 50s, the minorities in River State fought a lot for for the state uh creation and eventually Goan created the states for them in 1967.

[00:33:37]and to see that the the the fight for independence, the fight to to be selfdetermined is now completely been ajacked by a political class that seems to be so confused about what to do and they're not delivering development to the people and and we see all that is happening. So yeah, yeah, I'm from River State and and and so it's is it's very sad. I mean I I mean what what what is happening in River State and and and especially in a in in a situation where it seems like the state has been completely captured >> by by one man and yeah and his group.

[00:34:18]This is a state that the the the president suspended the governor >> for for reasons that are not sacrosant for reasons that are not above God. But but that was in the past. So so we are going to through this and I I don't see any serious form of opposition that would will stand up uh uh uh uh to to the minister of of the cap capital territory. Right. I I mean he has a right to organize himself and and let his his followers win is his right his his politics. But it's also the right of others and it should be their inclination >> to to mount an opposition to defeat him at the at the polls. But the question is will the election at the polls be fair?

[00:35:12]>> So if if reverse people are determined it doesn't matter Yahoo comes up there if there other parties there that they don't like his own candidate they can easily vote but are they organized in that way? Will they defend their interest or they going to on the door of election not come out at all not defend their rights or even in worst case scenario take money from politician and turn blind eyes to the voting or not even vote at all. So so what is happening in river state is is is very sad and and and president has allowed it to to go on. It might be a reverse problem today.

[00:35:54]>> If you are not careful, it will become the problem of the nation somehow. That is how in the 60s and late 50s it was a western problem.

[00:36:04]>> Then it became a national problem and and the colon country was thrown into into into chaos, right? Because something like Martin Luther King said that injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.

[00:36:18]>> Yeah. And and if we're not paying attention to this, right, the reverse model will become the standard model because people are looking at the solution says yeah if this works in river state every sgovernor is going to behave in the same and before we know the whole um country states will become foms and control. So, so a democracy will just only be in name. But of course, somebody will say the the country has already been captured for a long time top to bottom by um this uh class of people. And what is happening in River State is that we are now being shown it in a way that we cannot deny that the country has been captured by certain interests from Sooto to River State, from the federal government to the low local government. Thank you so much uh president Wariboko. We will have to come to this discussion as we go forward especially uh going into more details of the specifics of what Niger to do in this very interesting uh global dynamics that we are witnessing. Thank you for coming to inside sources.

[00:37:29]Welcome back to inside sources. In this segment, we want to take a look at what has been happening since this year, specifically in the area of some of these bloodletting and killings, extreme violence in parts of the country, especially as it regards to uh the interaction that Nigeria is trying to have with the Americans to try and see how much collaboration we can have to solve the problem. And to join me in that conversation, I have a returning guest, somebody who has been um much involved in in trying to build peace is the CEO of the Gideon and Fumi Paramelam Peace Foundation. I'd like to welcome back to Inside Sources, the Reverend Dr. Gideon Paramelam. Welcome back to Inside, my brother. Good to see you again.

[00:38:19]>> Thank you again um Lo A. It's always always a pleasure >> Thank you >> to be here with you. I must say that but to also say that now a lot of readers who follow our interview and inside sources have started asking when next.

[00:38:39]But let's move along you know. So there's this report uh from the US government is is titled um I'm going to read portions of it is from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and this is specifically on Nigeria. Uh it's uh it says uh non-state violators of religious freedom in Nigeria and they made a specific mention of fan militants. I'm going to read a the conclusion of that report and I would like to have your your comment. He says that since the United States uh CPC designation that is country of particular concern in October 2025 and the attendant bilateral security discussions with Nigeria armed fani actors have continued to carry out large scale inculions into Christian farmers agreek lands violent raids on Christians and Muslims religious sites and kidnappings of ley and leaders from both religions. As a result, central Nigeria remains entrenched in an intense daily and seemingly perpetual crisis of insecurity.

[00:39:57]A crisis that is likely to persist until the federal and several state governments create broader underlining conditions that are more conducive to the safe practice of religious freedom.

[00:40:14]Uh doctor, how do you respond to the what's your reaction to this?

[00:40:19]Uh again to be very honest uh that's the the the other short-term name for uh this uh group that released this uh recent report is you uh that's the US Commission for Religious Freedom. Okay.

[00:40:34]So first I say kudos to them for having the courage to name it as it is and to call out those who are largely responsible for terrorist act in the area of killings and kidnapping of Christians largely and also Muslim because we cannot deny that fact.

[00:41:01]>> They stated that in the report. Exactly.

[00:41:04]For calling them out, the armed fan heartsmen. This is not about profiling the fanis.

[00:41:13]And Nigerians should stop deceiving ourselves to say, "Oh, okay. Don't profile a particular group or some people are intimidated." The truth of the matter is that the armed fani heartsmen, some of them actually bandits whether fanis within Nigeria or fan outside Nigeria and put Boo Haram aside.

[00:41:37]They're terrorizing Nigerians. They're kidnapping Nigerians. They're killing Nigerians and particularly in North Central Nigeria, the middle belt areas.

[00:41:46]They're targeting Christians.

[00:41:49]And nobody should say that there there should be nothing like Christian genocide in Nigeria. It's a lie there is. There's nothing like the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. It's a lie there is. I've always maintained that just because Muslims are killed, it does not deny the persecution and the targeting of Christians in North Central Nigeria.

[00:42:12]>> So this group have actually made the job easier for the Nigerian government if they want to be honest. And this is where when you think about freeing people like Leah Shereibu, I honestly want to use this opportunity to appeal to the international community. They need to do more to free Leah >> Sharibbo.

[00:42:35]>> The attention given to Malala, the young lady from Pakistan, >> right?

[00:42:41]>> Who because of her love for education, the British government stood up, the American government stood up. We need to see them stand up and do same. if not more for Leah Sharibu. Why? Because Leah Sharibu was also targeted because of her commitment to education. If she hadn't been in that deputy school, technical girls school on that particular day, she would not have been picked up. She would not have been kept in captivity till date. So if people love the girl child education, they need to stand up and do more. So that's booh haram on one hand.

[00:43:16]So we come back again to your question.

[00:43:18]the armed full army heartsmen, whether they be bandits or whatever they are, they're engaging activities that frankly all Nigerians, Christians and Muslims like that alike, need to stand up unitedly and say no to their activities.

[00:43:35]You cannot tell me that a particular section of the comm the society in Nigeria is targeting the rest of us and we're completely helpless and we can do nothing to stop them in their tracks.

[00:43:47]>> Yeah. Amen. There should be no politicization of security. There should be no politicization of what is happening. The president should not be afraid. Those in the security service should not be afraid. Honestly, the the the minister of defense should not be afraid. The NSA, all those people who bear whatever name they bear in the name of security. They need to unite. Even the fan in government, they need to unite and say no to what is happening.

[00:44:15]Yes, they've singled out the fanies and that is nothing but the truth.

[00:44:20]>> Interesting. Interesting. Uh uh uh Reverend and uh I I I would like to say that when when issues like this come up, you know, uh we're not trying to uh profile just like you said and I wanted to back that up because you know I know very decent lawabiding upstanding uh fan people who are both in government and who are outside of government you know who are upstanding people clearly. So, so this is not uh just like this report from the Americans have said it's not an attempt to profile them or to just go after them. It is it it is a reality of the condition that we have that there are you know uh people from that ethnic stock you know I imagine quite a few of them not not not not that it represents the larger population you know the larger demographic but quite a few of them you know and I will say something publicly you know just so we understand this uh when we were in government uh people went to President Buhari and said look you are in the best position to solve this problem Because um many the full people see you as a leader you know generally and that you have the best opportunity because you know the the chances of them listening to you even at the level of using a bully pullpit you know uh is very very high. Now to be fair to him, he did say quite a few things that look if you find anybody carrying a gun, you know, you know, shoot us tight and you know, did quite said quite a few >> but unfortunately you know uh and and you know God bless his so he didn't rise up you know to solve that problem regrettably that's that that's just a fact >> you know and when you said that we were in government this is the truth you know I know that uh many of us from the other side in the villa put pressure on on the president uh president Buhari to to fix this thing >> but now we have to transfer that pressure to uh president uh Bola now and that's why this report is very important >> this report also says and I'm going to quote that in February 2026 >> the US Congress introduced a bill that is the Nigeria religious freedom and accountability act of 2026 that included mark ban He said it included Magban as an entity on which the US Department of State and Treasury should impose targeted sanctions for his alleged role in perpetrating severe religious freedoms uh violations. The same month, that is in February, a congressional report to the White House outlined actions that the US and Nigerian governments can take to end the persecution of Christian communities and address persistent security challenges in Nigeria. I wanted to ask you, you know, uh uh Reverend uh Dr. Gideon, you are in this area. How much do you think has happened both from the American side and the Nigerian side specifically this year, you know, uh to try and deal with the issues? For instance, can you give us a panoramic view of of the killings that has happened this year alone from January to date? Does he reflect that we are we having a push back or are we still where we used to be?

[00:47:49]>> Thank you. Thank you again um my dear friend Olalu and and this is why inside sources uh it's it's the place to go to if you want to pick issues uh as they are in many of our news channels and thank you for saying regrettably I wish that Boohari could have done more late president Buhari could have done more to stop some of these uh fani fan terrorist activities unfortunately he didn't so it will go down in street that we had a fellow flanny man who should have actually reign in on his kith and king but he just couldn't do it.

[00:48:28]>> So it's a fellow and so if Nigerians truly believe that we need to unite together to move forward in this then President Tubu should actually fix this problem.

[00:48:40]>> Yeah. and Nigerians, regardless of your tribe, regardless of your ethnic nationality, we need to unite together to help this president to fix this fani problem in Nigeria.

[00:48:57]You rightly observed and I completely agree both by experience. There are too many good fan who are friends.

[00:49:04]>> Absolutely.

[00:49:04]>> People we relate with, people we talk with. There are some of them in government. There are what most people don't even know is that there are very nice, excellent, fantastic fani Christians that I know of and we relate with just as you have fani Muslims. So somebody's not saying there are no good fan. No, there are excellent fan in Nigeria.

[00:49:29]>> Majority of them are >> majority. Yes. Ah, and like you said, those who are causing these problems, those who are armed, those who are bandits, those who are terrorists are fewer. But we have not yet seen the majority of fanies rising up to say to those who are destroying this tribe to say, "No, what you're doing is a misrepresentation of who the fanis really are." The silence is troubling >> and I want to encourage our president Ahmed Batinubu to rise up and end this problem of what the fan represent. Now you ask a fundamental question. What's going on? I would honestly say that the Americans need to do more.

[00:50:20]President Trump needs to rise up and do more for Nigeria regarding end this healings that's continuing. I'm I'm going to share some statistics. Okay.

[00:50:33]So, someone says I I think that for me personally, I don't have conclusive proof, but I think that the Americans may be distracted by the war in Iran.

[00:50:42]>> Yeah.

[00:50:43]>> Otherwise, more attention needs to be given on Nigeria. And I hope that when they fix the situation with Iran, they need to do more to free Nigeria from what is going on. But it's not just Nigeria. West Africa, look at what happened in Mali the other day. The same rebels walking together with other bandits and they nearly nearly nearly destroyed the the the the soul of that particular country. They killed the defense minister.

[00:51:11]>> Exactly. They killed the defense minister. and and to allow that to continue honestly will only embolden them. I kind of think that Mali is almost on life support now politically the current government is probably on life support but if you let Mali falls it will only empower these people embolden them to do more across West Africa. We need to rise and stop them because we can't keep quiet. Now, what you've just read out from the Yousef report that reflected what the American Congress did in their meeting of February 26, as you were reading it, I said that's what the Nigerian National Assembly should be doing.

[00:51:49]>> That's what we should be doing. I don't know what's the the the distraction but you see Nigerian politicians have more passion for the next election >> than they have passion for saving the lives of Nigerians. Now you ask you know about the total number of killings that have taken place uh since January 1st and I think it's important uh to to to to to say something here to help us okay from some of our statistical um uh records and I think it's good and these are by no means exhaustive. It could be more >> but certainly not less.

[00:52:33]>> So we have a record between January and May 13th. Mhm.

[00:52:38]>> Uh uh uh yesterday 451 verified violent attacks across Nigeria.

[00:52:48]>> 451.

[00:52:49]>> 451. Most of these attacks. Yes. In also a lot of them in the north central region >> of plateau of Benway of Taraba and what a few of course the epic center of Boo Haram also. And out of this 1,685 people killed. It could be more but not less than this. This is what we have. So when you do a division, a disegregation out of this from what we have from our records 1,03 are Christians killed while 672 are Muslims killed.

[00:53:29]And then during the same period also 2,47 persons have been abducted that's kidnapped for ransom kidnapped by boo haram kidnapped by armed fani heartsmen kidnapped by bandies all over just this confusion of kidnapping again from those kidnapped um 996 believe you me >> uh uh okay significant ificantly. Let me just leave it there that 2,47 are those kidnapped. I think we need to recheck again to confirm how many of these are Christians, how many of these are Muslims. But that is the challenge in which we find ourselves.

[00:54:15]>> So what was the source of this data?

[00:54:18]>> Uh the source of this data is the documentation from our peace foundation.

[00:54:24]>> Okay?

[00:54:24]>> Because we do that you engage in peace building, you need some data to help you. Okay? So basically what this works out is that an average of 12 persons are killed every day. An average >> of >> 12 persons >> per day >> are killed per day and an average of 18 persons are kidnapped >> per day >> per day.

[00:54:43]>> That's not a good sign. And that is why both the Americans >> in their engagement with the Nigerian government and the Nigerian government itself needs to rise up. all these anti-scentiments the Americans everybody knows no nation in this world gets involved in anything without what they will benefit out of it but let Nigerians rise up and we need to support the president quite frankly to deal with all of this all this politics of of you you want to wait in 2015 there was nothing we didn't hear that if Bhari came into power Jonathan must be voted out then this will happen Bhari came and it's worse >> anyway Great. Thank you so much.

[00:55:24]>> It became worse.

[00:55:25]>> Yeah. Unfortunately, we we keep at it, you know, uh until it gets better.

[00:55:30]>> Thank you.

[00:55:31]>> We will not relent, you know. And I must say that uh uh people such as yourself and your peace foundation. Uh you are doing an accolent task, but you know, we will support you. We will keep on raising our voices uh until we have peace in Nigeria. We will be working and then we'll be praying. Thank you so much uh Reverend Dr. for Gideon Paramelam for coming to sources and thank you for speaking out.

[00:55:55]>> Thank you.

[00:55:55]>> All right.

[00:55:56]>> Really grateful for the opportunity and I pray that you will continue to do more. And to our viewers, those of you who have watched, I think it's good to commend others like Opera News, uh, Fenix and others, you know, the last interview without your knowledge, without my knowledge, they sort of did a series on it and they picked up different segments and they distributed it. So I think we should commend them to create more awareness and consciousness.

[00:56:21]All right.

[00:56:22]>> What we care about is the freedom of Nigeria.

[00:56:24]>> Absolutely.

[00:56:25]>> From the grips of terrorist who are also Nigerians supported by people from outside. We want our politicians. It's okay to politic but politic with your eyes open and with your big sense. When you let all the people of Nigerians get killed, who will vote for you?

[00:56:44]>> Thank you so much uh uh Reverend Gideon because of our time. We wrap it up.

[00:56:47]Thank you again for coming to Inside Sources and thank you for the hard work that you do.

[00:56:51]>> Thank you. God bless you.

[00:56:52]>> Thank you. And there you have it.

[00:56:53]Another edition of inside sources. Like where we say Nigeria will prevail. It means Nigeria will win and you can see that it is indeed a battle. But we will fight and we will win and there will be peace in this country. My name is Lulu Aund. Thank you for watching and by the grace of God I'll see you on the Sunday edition.