Former U.S. Mayor Mike Arnold, ex-leader of Blanco, Texas, has ignited a diplomatic row by claiming Nigeria’s new defence pact with Turkey masks jihadist training and an extremist academy under President Bola Tinubu’s watch.
Arnold aired the accusations on social media Wednesday, rejecting the official line on the bilateral deal inked at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. He alleged the partnership, not aimed at quelling North-East insurgency, instead advances “state capture” and radical appeasement, amid his prior critiques of Nigeria’s rights abuses.
Defence Minister Gen. Mohammed Christopher Musa praised the accord as a “turning point” for self-sufficiency, drawing on Turkey’s counter-insurgency prowess. Key elements include:
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Training 200 Nigerian Special Forces in Turkey for counter-terrorism.
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Building a joint military academy in Nigeria focused on intelligence, counter-drones, and IEDs.
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Tech transfers for Turkish hardware against Boko Haram and ISWAP.
The claims amplify doubts from observers wary of Nigeria’s Turkey pivot—a Muslim-majority power—as ties with Western allies cool. The government insists it’s a transparent anti-terror push, but Arnold’s posts are trending locally with no presidential rebuttal yet.
This rift underscores tensions in Nigeria’s security diplomacy.
