In a fiery address that has ignited online discourse, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the veteran lawmaker from Abia South, accused the Nigerian state of betraying its foundational principles by “rewarding terror” amid escalating violence against Christians and other citizens.
Speaking at a high-profile forum branded, the 5th Frontier Discourse Annual Public Lecture and Awards, unfolded at the prestigious Nigerian National Merit Award House (Merit House) in Maitama, Abuja, drawing policymakers, activists, journalists, and thought leaders to confront the “Politics of Convergence and Collisions: Navigating Power Struggles in Shaping Democracy.“
Watch and listen to the Senator Abaribe’s speech hereIMG_9809
—Abaribe warned that such policies could lead to terrorists seizing power, directly responding to recent threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene militarily if Nigeria fails to curb the bloodshed.
The 15-minute video, when shared on X generated over 9,800 views, 480 likes, and 417 reposts in just hours.
It captures Abaribe, dressed in a crisp white agbada and signature red cap, delivering a no-holds-barred critique from a podium, flanked by a microphone and notes.
The speech, laced with historical references and moral urgency, comes amid reports of intensified attacks on Christian communities in northern and central Nigeria, where banditry, kidnappings, and insurgency have claimed thousands of lives in recent years.
“We are in a state that has lost its moral compass,” Abaribe declared early in his remarks, setting the tone for a scathing indictment of government policies.
He pointed to specific failures, including the granting of amnesty to bandits who kidnap schoolchildren and the integration of ex-militants into security forces after ambushing soldiers. “When bandits kidnap children and the state rewards them with amnesty, what do you think we have? We have lost whatever morality we have,“ he said, his voice rising with emphasis. “Every state is built on a foundation of morality, which is justice and equity. If you commit a crime, you pay the price for that crime.”
Abaribe’s comments in reference to ongoing controversies, such as the federal government’s amnesty programs for Boko Haram insurgents and payments to kidnappers to secure releases—practices critics argue perpetuate a cycle of violence.
“A nation that rewards terror will one day find out that terror will take over power in their state because you’re not punishing terror; rather, you’re rewarding them,” he cautioned. “And when you pay a kidnapper, all that you have done is that you’ve sown the seed for your next kidnap.”
The senator’s remarks gained added weight in light of Trump’s recent statement during a rally in Pennsylvania, where the U.S. president vowed to “send the Army” to Nigeria if the killings of Christians continue unchecked. Trump, who returned to the White House in January 2025, framed the pledge as part of a broader “America First“ push to protect persecuted minorities abroad, drawing parallels to his administration’s past sanctions on Nigerian officials over religious freedom abuses.
Abaribe did not shy away from the international rebuke, calling it a “shame on Nigeria.”
“Nigeria was a particular country… we went and imposed order in Liberia, in Sierra Leone, in the Congo. We went all over Africa imposing order, and the Nigerian military was the best-rated military on this African region,” Abaribe lamented. “And today, we are now told that our soldiers run away from ragtag people who are within our country. That is nothing but shameful.”
Shifting to broader governance failures, Abaribe urged a return to “justice over appeasement,“ quoting a Syrian general’s philosophy: “His job is not to forgive. His job is to send the terrorists to God. Let God forgive the person when he has sent him there.” He warned that “a government that chooses appeasement over justice simply signs the death warrant of its citizens,” as it emboldens perpetrators by signaling weakness.
The speech also touched on political lessons from Nigeria’s past, drawing parallels to the 2013 opposition unity that toppled the incumbent government in 2015.
Abaribe called for ego-free consensus among current opposition figures ahead of the 2026 and 2027 elections, predicting a repeat of history if leaders prioritize service over self-enrichment.
“You are not elected to buy yourself another jet,” he quipped, reflecting on his own age (over 70) and diminishing material desires. “Buckle down and do the work for which you are elected—to make life easy for your people.”
Abaribe, a longtime advocate for restructuring and good governance, has been vocal on security issues since his days as Senate Minority Leader under the APC’s early tenure.
His latest outburst arrives as Nigeria grapples with a surge in attacks—over 1,300 Christians killed in the first half of 2025 alone, according to rights groups—amid economic woes and political jockeying for the next electoral cycle.
As the video and the accompanying speeches continues to circulate, it serves as a stark reminder of Nigeria’s deepening fault lines. Whether Abaribe’s “bombshell” prompts policy shifts or further international scrutiny remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the moral crossroads he described feels perilously close.
