The American Veterans of Igbo Descent, AVID, has criticised former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, for comments it described as insensitive and dismissive of the worsening security situation in Nigeria.
Johnson, who was the keynote speaker at the Imo State Economic Summit 2025 hosted by Governor Hope Uzodimma in Owerri last week, had told participants that he felt “perfectly safe in Nigeria,” dismissing negative reports about insecurity in the country.
But AVID, in a statement signed by its President, Chief Sylvester Onyia, said Johnson’s remarks were a mockery of victims of banditry, kidnappings, and other violent attacks across Nigeria.
The group challenged the former UK leader to travel by road without escorts across various parts of the country before making conclusions about Nigeria’s security reality.
Onyia noted that barely 48 hours before Johnson’s “provocative remark,” bandits had abducted 18 passengers along the Imo/Abia border. He also wondered whether Johnson was aware that the advance team of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, was attacked by gunmen while heading to the Owerri airport shortly before the event.
“If indeed the South-East is as peaceful as Johnson claims, how come Gov. Alex Otti’s advance team was attacked two days before that day?” the statement read.
AVID further alleged that Johnson’s visit was part of an image-laundering effort sponsored by Nigerian politicians seeking to downplay the country’s insecurity, describing the comment as an “insult” to victims of violence and a contradiction of recent travel advisories issued by the United Kingdom.
“How much were you paid to make such a disgraceful comment?” the group queried, accusing Johnson of ignoring reports of attacks and the killing of Christians in various parts of the country.
It questioned why the former prime minister would contradict the positions of the United States, which it said had repeatedly raised concerns over rising insecurity in Nigeria.
“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,” AVID stated.
The group accused Britain of maintaining a long history of enabling Nigeria’s political elite while ignoring violence affecting ordinary citizens.
“His comment was a mockery to the grief of innocent Nigerians killed over the years. Britain has always been on the wrong side of history when it comes to Nigeria,” it added.
AVID also berated Governor Uzodimma for allegedly using state resources to invite foreign personalities to “whitewash” the security realities in Imo State.
“Governor Hope Uzodinma should stop using money allocated for the people of Imo to service expired agents who come to Nigeria to speak lies against the blood of innocent Nigerians,” the group said.
Johnson had told participants at the summit:
“I want you to know that when I decided to come to Owerri, I read some things, and there were people saying, ‘There may be some security problems in Nigeria.’ And I said, ‘Well, I’m going to go anyway.’
“And let me ask you: do you feel safe here today in this conference? Yes, we all feel safe. And I feel perfectly safe.”
AVID insisted that such statements undermine the struggles of Nigerians who continue to live under the threat of bandits, insurgents and kidnappers, urging citizens to resist attempts by “selfish figures” to downplay the nation’s crisis.
