Dambazau Warns Trump May Seek to Establish US Military Base in Nigeria
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Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), has expressed concern that former US President Donald Trump may be seeking to establish a military base in Nigeria under the guise of protecting Christians.
Speaking at the 7th Annual Public Lecture of the Just Friends Club of Nigeria (JFCN) in Abuja, Dambazau cautioned that such a move would likely serve America’s strategic interests rather than Nigeria’s security needs.
The former army chief said Trump’s recent comments—declaring Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and suggesting possible US military operations to “defend Nigerian Christians”—should be treated with skepticism.
“Donald Trump has declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern and has given the U.S. Department of War directives to prepare for possible operations to defend Nigerian Christians,” Dambazau said.
“I think the U.S. is looking for an opportunity to establish an alternative base in Nigeria, a country known to protect only its interests by any means possible, including the use of force.”
He questioned the motives behind America’s growing interest in Nigerian security, noting that despite operating military bases in Niger for over a decade, the US had done little to curb the spread of terrorism across the Sahel region.
Dambazau urged Nigerian policymakers to prioritize national sovereignty and pursue homegrown solutions to security challenges, rather than depend on external powers whose interventions often serve geopolitical agendas.
