By Our Reorter
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – A former United States mayor, Mike Arnold, has warned that Nigeria stands at a निर्णng crossroads, presenting two sharply contrasting futures, either emerging as America’s strongest African ally or descending into a major global security threat.
Arnold, who is the founder and chairman of Africa Arise International and Africa Arise USA, made the remarks during a presentation at a hearing of the United States Congress. Excerpts of his address were later shared via his Facebook page.
In his submission, Arnold traced Nigeria’s historical trajectory from pre-colonial times to the present, expressing concern over what he described as the government’s inadequate response to the spread of radical insurgency. He argued that recent waves of violence across the country have been mischaracterised as farmer-herder clashes, insisting instead that Nigeria is facing what he termed “an Islamic conquest.”
The former mayor cited what he called instances of “failure and impunity” by Nigerian authorities, pointing to the prosecution and conviction of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as evidence of what he described as selective justice between southern agitators and northern Islamist actors.
Arnold also referenced a viral video in which a cleric allegedly placed a bounty on a Jos-based pastor, Emmanuel Sunday Garba, accusing the government of failing to respond decisively. According to him, despite public outrage and calls for action, no arrests or official condemnation followed.
He further criticised Nigeria’s approach to counter-insurgency, claiming that while alleged perpetrators are being rehabilitated, millions of displaced victims remain neglected and vulnerable.
Calling for international intervention, Arnold urged the U.S. Congress to push for the release of what he described as prisoners of conscience, including Kanu, and to consider asylum protections for individuals facing persecution.
In addition, he criticised the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, accusing him of failing to consistently condemn ongoing violence and of supporting the expansion of Sharia-based systems into southern Nigeria.
Arnold’s remarks are likely to spark debate, as they touch on sensitive issues of national security, religious dynamics, and governance in Africa’s most populous nation.
