Nigeria’s former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has warned some countries, including Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, not to lightly wake Nigeria’s sleeping sword, advising them that they should think twice before threatening Nigeria with war.
Fani-Kayode maintained that Nigeria almost singlehandedly confronted and contained ISWAP, Boko Haram and the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) with its Eastern Security Network (ESN) noting that Nigeria still stands undeterred and strong.
The veteran politician said he frowns at videos of Nigerien, Burkinabe and Malian soldiers marching and chanting war songs against Nigeria while being applauded and egged on by ecstatic French-speaking crowds who reigned curses on the nation’s president.
In a lengthy post on his Twitter handle on Sunday, Fani-Kayode warned, “Before provoking our nation into armed conflict and threatening us with war our traducers should know we are a peace-loving people who are kind, compassionate, hard-working and accommodating.”
He also boasted that the size of the economy and GDP of all the countries in Africa ruled by military dictators put together, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sudan, Guinea and the Niger Republic are nowhere near that of Lagos State alone.
Part of his statement read: “They forget that we are a country that has almost singlehandedly confronted and contained the two most deadly terrorist organisations and armies in the world, ISWAP and Boko Haram, and a separatist movement known as IPOB with its own fledgling terrorist army known as the ESN and yet we still stand undeterred and strong.
“Such is the courage, strength, resilience, fighting spirit, foresight, fortitude and sense of patriotism of the Nigerian.
“Before you threaten us with war think twice, study our history and learn about who we are and what we are capable of doing.”
