…says “our mosquitoes are waiting for U.S soldiers to bite and infect them with malaria fever.”
ABUJA, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | A viral video featuring an ex-security expert, identified as Comrade Mohammed Ali, has become the latest flashpoint in a widening diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United States after President Donald Trump recently designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and ordered the U.S. Department of Defense to prepare options should Washington decide to act over alleged violence against Christians.
In the clip, which has circulated widely on social media, Mohammed Ali rejects assertions that Christians in Nigeria are being systematically targeted and urged caution against external military intervention. “Mr Donald Trump, be aware that Nigeria is not Afghanistan, Nigeria is not Iraq. If you try to enter Nigeria with your armed forces, our mosquitoes are waiting for your soldiers to bite and infect them with malaria fever and they will die instantly,” he declared in the footage. The video was reported by local outlets after gaining traction online.
Mohammed Ali framed his remarks as both a rebuke of the U.S. narrative and an affirmation of coexistence at the community level. “We are not persecuting Christians, we are all living together…we are only suffering from humanitarianism,” he said, adding that Nigerians of different faiths continue to live together despite security challenges. The clip mixes satire and anger, reflecting a broader public backlash to what many see as a blunt, foreign interventionist posture.
The U.S. move, including Mr. Trump’s public warnings that aid could be halted and that military options are being drawn up, has already prompted formal rebuttals from Abuja. Nigerian officials have rejected the designation and described the U.S. assessment as based on incomplete or faulty information, saying the country faces terrorism and criminality that affect citizens across faiths and regions. Abuja has emphasised its sovereign right to tackle insecurity while continuing diplomatic engagement with partners.
Analysts say the episode underscores two parallel dynamics: growing international scrutiny of violence affecting civilians in parts of Nigeria, and a vigorous domestic narrative that resists external characterisations of the country’s complex security environment. U.S. officials, according to reporting, have directed regional commands to draw up contingency options, a development that has ratcheted up tensions and accelerated diplomatic exchanges between both capitals.
The viral response from figures such as Mohammed Ali is likely to bolster popular resistance to any foreign military presence and complicate efforts to build consensus around international assistance. For now, Nigeria’s government maintains it will continue to press for cooperative solutions that respect national sovereignty even as international partners press for more robust protection for communities at risk.
Observers say the coming days are likely to see intensified diplomatic messaging, further social-media reactions and continued reporting on whether Washington moves beyond rhetoric toward concrete action.
