Activist and political commentator Omoyele Sowore has condemned the recent U.S. military strikes in Nigeria, arguing that only competent and well-informed Nigerian leadership can truly protect the nation and its citizens.

Sowore made the remarks on X in response to reports that U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth authorized attacks on suspected terrorist groups in Nigeria on Christmas Day.

“While the Nigerian government claims it was aware and calls it a joint operation with vague ‘international partners,’ it is clear that these strikes were conducted without the genuine authority or informed consent of the weak individuals posing as government under President Bola Tinubu,” he stated.

He further criticized the U.S. for carrying out the strikes, reportedly targeting a village in Sokoto, saying the actions showed a lack of understanding and concern for Nigeria’s people.

“It is deeply troubling that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, lacks the capable and sovereign leadership needed to protect its people and territory,” Sowore said, adding that the country has effectively become a bystander while its sovereignty is being compromised.

Sowore emphasized that only “true, tested, and informed leadership” within Nigeria can adequately safeguard citizens, warning against reliance on foreign powers or “imperiled, jaundiced neoconservatives operating from Washington, D.C.”

His comments have reignited debates over foreign military involvement in Nigeria and the country’s ability to independently handle its security challenges.