The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, has called on Nigerians across religious and regional lines to unite in confronting the enduring challenge of terrorism, warning that external military intervention from the United States could worsen the country’s already delicate security situation.
Oba Ladoja made the call while receiving the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke, at his palace in Oke Aremo, Ibadan, over the weekend.
The visit came against the backdrop of reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered American military authorities to draw up a strike plan targeting terrorist enclaves in Nigeria, a development that has triggered debate among political leaders and security analysts in the country.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Adeola Oloko, the Olubadan expressed deep concern over the prolonged wave of terrorism Nigeria has faced since the latter years of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2014.
According to the monarch, the devastating impact of insurgency and banditry has left scars across the country, causing grief, displacement and economic hardship for countless families.
“Many people have been killed, and property worth an inestimable amount of money destroyed. Multitudes of families, particularly women and children, have been displaced. Kidnappings have taken place,” Oba Ladoja lamented.
He noted that Nigeria has poured trillions of naira into security and counter-insurgency campaigns, yet the problem persists. This, he explained, has left many citizens — especially those who have lost loved ones and livelihoods — feeling abandoned and compelled to resort to self-help.
The monarch acknowledged the efforts of successive Nigerian leaders including former President Goodluck Jonathan, former President Muhammadu Buhari, and the incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. However, he stressed that terrorism remains a shared national threat that does not distinguish between religion or ethnicity.
“Terrorists don’t know the difference between Muslims and Christians. They see everybody as prey while they remain the predator,” he said.
Oba Ladoja specifically appealed to Bishop Wale Oke and the Christian community to remain patient and steadfast, especially those who feel deeply aggrieved by violence targeted at churches and worshippers in parts of the country. He urged the PFN to help reduce growing tensions among Christians who feel that their communities have suffered disproportionately.
The monarch emphasized that the Southwest has largely maintained peaceful coexistence between adherents of different faiths — something he believes should be replicated nationwide.
“In our region, Muslims and Christians live together, marry one another, celebrate with one another. It is difficult to understand why love and mutual respect seem harder to sustain in other parts of the country,” he observed.
On the reported threat of U.S. military involvement, Oba Ladoja expressed caution. While acknowledging that many Nigerians desire an end to terrorism “once and for all,” he stressed that foreign armed intervention could compromise Nigeria’s sovereignty and trigger unintended consequences.
He said Nigerians would welcome international collaboration in terms of intelligence sharing, training and equipment supply — but not direct military operations on Nigerian soil.
Bishop Wale Oke, in his remarks, congratulated Oba Ladoja on his emergence as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland and prayed for divine wisdom, strength and guidance for his reign.
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“May God give you wisdom, knowledge and understanding to discharge your duties to the satisfaction of God and humanity,” Bishop Oke prayed.
As Nigeria continues to navigate rising insecurity, Oba Ladoja’s message reinforces a growing call for unity, fairness, healing and a national security approach that is both humane and effective.
