ABUJA, Nigeria — In a stinging critique of global geopolitics, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has characterized the recent US military invasion of Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro as a “victory for brigandage over morality.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, January 5, 2026, the renowned diplomat argued that the move was driven by a single motive: Oil.
“The Victory of Brute Force”
Professor Akinyemi did not mince words, stating that the start of 2026 has been marked by the “brushing aside” of international law. He warned that the United Nations itself is “on trial” as the world watches a superpower ignore the sovereign rights of another nation.
“What made Trump do what he did is the oil,” Akinyemi declared. “This is a frightening New Year for the world. It is a lesson to all of us, including Nigerians, that there is a distinction between legal sovereignty and power sovereignty.”
A Hard Lesson for Nigeria
The Professor pointed out that sovereignty is meaningless if a nation lacks the economic and military force to protect it. He urged Nigeria to take this as a wake-up call to strengthen its internal power base.
“You can claim your sovereignty from here to eternity,” he noted, “but if you don’t have the force to protect it, you are just wasting your time. It is brute force that underwrites sovereignty.”
Dangerous Precedents: Ukraine, Taiwan, and Beyond
Akinyemi expressed deep concern that allowing this “brigandage” to go unchecked sends a dangerous message to other world powers. He raised several haunting questions about the future:
- Russia & Ukraine: What does this tell Russia about its ambitions?
- China & Taiwan: Will China see this as a green light for similar actions?
- Global Conflict: What happens to the northern parts of Africa or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if “might is right” becomes the global standard?
The UN at a Crossroads
While an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council took place on January 5, Akinyemi remained skeptical of the outcome, suggesting that international institutions are currently powerless against the “brute force” of major powers. He likened the situation to the 1989 US invasion of Panama, warning that when oppressors are allowed to “get away with it,” history is doomed to repeat itself.
