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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), a United States-based Igbo group, has slammed former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, for downplaying the security challenges in Nigeria.
Johnson, while delivering a keynote address at the Imo State Economic Summit 2025, hosted by Governor Hope Uzodimma, said: “I feel perfectly safe in Nigeria”
He dismissed negative security reports that had preceded his trip to Owerri, the Imo State capital.
AVID, in a statement by its President, Chief Sylvester Onyia, carpeted the ex-Prime Minister over the comment, describing it as an insult on the victims of insecurity in Nigeria.
Onyia challenged Mr Johnson to travel on land without security escorts to different states in the country before passing comments on the security situation in the country.
The statement reminded Johnson that barely 48 hours before his Owerri provocative remark, bandits had abducted 18 passengers on the Imo/Abia border community.
AVID wondered if Johnson “was aware that a few hours before the Owerri jamboree, the Advance Team of Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, on its way to Owerri airport, came under attack by bandits.”
The statement added, “If, indeed, Nigeria is as peaceful as Johnson claims, how come Governor Alex Otti’s advance team was attacked two days before that day?”
AVID alleged that Johnson was hired to launder Nigeria’s image over the Christian genocide and incessant killings in the country.
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The group said it was embarrassing that a former British Prime Minister would choose to contradict a travel warning recently issued by his country for pecuniary interests.
It reminded Johnson that his comment was in sharp contrast with the position of the United States of America, which has used its vast intelligence to confirm the growing insecurity and killings in Nigeria.
The statement read in part, “Is Johnson trying to prove that President Donald Trump is not correct in expressing concerns over the disturbing insecurity in Nigeria? Has he chosen to defend the incompetence and duplicity of Nigerian leaders even when doing so requires lying?
“If he feels safe in Nigeria as he claims, let him travel from Imo State to Borno State on land to see how secure he is in Nigeria.
“England has benefited from the blood of innocent Nigerians as long as the oil and gas are flowing to England. Boris Johnson has never condemned the killings of Christians in Nigeria before. They have not condemned that.
“His comment was a mockery to the griefs of innocent Nigerians that have been killed over the years. Britain sees Nigeria as a shopping ground. They can give Nigeria any kind of conflict, as long as they benefit from the natural resources of Nigeria. Britain has always been on the wrong side of history when it comes to Nigeria. So the actions of Boris Johnson have validated the death of innocent Nigerians”.
AVID said Johnson’s comment was detrimental to all Nigerians, and challenged Nigerians to reject any attempt by selfish figures to hold them in perpetual colonialism.
“Nigerians must rise up now and say enough is enough. Colonialists will no longer hold us down. Britain has turned a blind eye to the activities of bandits in Nigeria.”
AVID said Britain has always been on the wrong side of history when it comes to Nigeria, adding that Johnson’s comment on the security situation in the country was not a surprise.
