Former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has condemned recent United States actions in Venezuela, calling them unlawful, reckless, and a grave threat to global peace.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Akinyemi described the U.S. military raid that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.
“This is nothing but piracy, brigandage, a violation of international law. A violation of the Charter of the United Nations. There is no justification for it at all,” he said.
Akinyemi argued that no country has the authority to unilaterally remove leaders it finds undesirable. “The former president of Venezuela was not a good fellow. But then, there are so many heads of states who are not good fellows in the world,” he noted.
He warned that the U.S. action could embolden other powers. “Nothing now prevents Putin from going after Zelensky in Ukraine, and nothing prevents China from going into Taiwan and taking it over. Absolutely nothing,” Akinyemi said.
Criticising President Donald Trump’s approach, he added: “Trump has done a very wrong thing. There are negative repercussions to the behaviour and the body language of Trump and his advisors. How can you stand there and say you are going to take over a country?”
Silence of Western Leaders
Akinyemi accused Western leaders of failing to speak forcefully against the U.S. because of dependency and geopolitical interests.
“I understand why the Prime Minister of Britain, even presidents in several countries in Europe, have been speaking mutedly and condemning what the United States has done,” he said.
He expressed outrage at the public treatment of Maduro. “I feel really offended at the pictures that have been taken of the man. You’ve arrested him. Do you have to show us pictures of him in handcuffs?”
Criticism of UN and Call for Nigeria’s Rethink
Akinyemi also criticised the United Nations, saying its structure was designed to shield superpowers from accountability.
“The United Nations was countermined by a superpower. Without the veto, the people who created the United Nations did not give power to the United Nations to countermine the superpower. That’s why the veto power was there,” he explained.
Turning to Nigeria, he urged caution over Israel’s growing interest in the country. “There are too many issues on which we disagree with Israel. The enemy of my enemy, my friend, it’s not going to work in this area,” he warned.
He called for urgent consultations among Nigeria’s foreign policy experts.
“The time has come for us to have a good rethink of how we should react to the United States and now to Israel who are showing interest in Nigeria because we have problems that they think they can help us to address,” Akinyemi said.
Global Risks and Historical Parallels
Akinyemi accused Trump of dismantling institutional safeguards within the U.S., noting Congress had failed to restrain him.
“This is the same U.S. Congress that twice impeached this man but couldn’t convict him because of his hold over the Republican Party. So really, he is showing the weakness of the American Constitution,” he said.
Drawing historical parallels, he likened the moment to the rise of authoritarian leaders in Europe. “Is this not the way Hitler took over Germany? Nobody believed that. And yet Hitler did,” he said, also referencing Mussolini.
He warned the world was dangerously close to a major conflict. “I’m praying that this man is not going to lead us to a third world war,” Akinyemi said.
While acknowledging China’s capability to challenge U.S. dominance, he argued Beijing was unlikely to act. “Why not issue a statement? Where is our own statement?” he asked.
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