Netanyahu Nigeria: Muslim Leaders Warn Israeli PM to ‘Steer Clear’ Amid Outrage
By: Abudu Olalekan
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Christmas vow to fight terrorism against Nigerian Christians triggered fierce backlash. MUSWEN told Reportersroom the PM should stay away.
Christmas Day. Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t delivering tidings of comfort to everyone. Addressing Christian Zionist supporters, the Israeli Prime Minister declared Israel would open a “new front.” Nigeria sat on that list alongside Syria, Lebanon, Turkey. The mission: protecting Christians from persecution. Beneath the promise lurked something else—a vow to join Donald Trump in fighting radical Shiite groups linked to Iran and Sunni movements like the Muslim Brotherhood. Threats to Judeo-Christian civilization, he warned, were spreading into Africa.
The backlash didn’t wait.
Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria—MUSWEN—erupted first. Professor Wole Abbas, their Executive Secretary, spoke with Reportersroom Friday. “Netanyahu’s statement is unfortunate,” he began. Then the temperature spiked. “What he has done to Palestinians in Gaza is almost worst than terrorism. This is a person declared wanted by the world court.” Abbas found the irony suffocating. “He still engages in genocide in Gaza and wants to help solve same in Nigeria. I cannot understand what we are witnessing.”
Bashir Ahmad, former presidential aide, hit X Friday with blunt dismissal. “Nigeria doesn’t need your help.” He welcomed legitimate counter-terror support but added: “certainly not from individuals facing ongoing genocide trials before an international court.” Netanyahu’s framing—positioning the move as countering Iranian-linked groups—barely registered. Ahmad underscored growing Abuja consensus: sovereignty matters above all.
In Sokoto, PDP chieftain Alhaji Kabiru Aliyu reacted with disbelief. “I am sure he is not serious,” he told Reportersroom. “Firstly, where are Christians being persecuted in Nigeria? Also, at what time did he become a Christian?” The theological distinction mattered. “It is a known fact that he is a Jew, and the difference between a Jew and a Christian is wider than the difference between a Christian and a Muslim.” The warning followed sharp. “He should not take the silence of Nigeria for weakness.”
Mallam Umar Abubakar, Sokoto Muslim leader, saw minerals, not mission work. “The PM has a hidden agenda,” he said flatly. “What they are after is the mineral resources. They are only trying to create war among us so they can penetrate to exploit.” It’s the familiar resource-curse suspicion. “If they truly have the country’s interest, they should talk to President Tinubu and support his efforts—not provoke religious conflict.” He stressed Nigeria’s reality: “Just as attacks occur on churches, mosques are also targeted. We need support to address insecurity, not division.”
The chorus was uniform. Steer clear. “New front” rhetoric evoked unwanted interventions. Coming from a leader facing genocide accusations over Gaza, the credibility gap was simply too wide.
