Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told US President Donald Trump that his country was “never for sale” Tuesday as they met at the White House amid tensions on tariffs and sovereignty.

In their first Oval Office meeting, Trump insisted to the recently elected Carney that it would be a “wonderful marriage” if Canada agreed to his repeated calls to become the 51st US state.

But despite Trump’s claims of friendly relations, the body language became increasingly tense between the 78-year-old Republican and the 60-year-old Canadian leader.

“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,” Carney told property tycoon Trump, comparing Canada to the Oval Office itself and to Britain’s Buckingham Palace.

“Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it’s not for sale. It won’t be for sale, ever.”

Trump then replied: “Never say never.”

Carney won the Canadian election of April 28 on a pledge to stand up to Trump, warning that ties between the North American neighbors could never be the same.

Trump has sparked a major trade war with Canada with his tariffs while repeatedly making extraordinary calls for the key NATO ally and major trading partner to become part of the United States.

Despite that, the two leaders began their meeting with warm words towards each other.

Twice-elected Trump hailed Carney, whose Liberal Party surged from behind to win the election, for “one of the greatest comebacks in the history of politics, maybe even greater than mine.”

But while they expressed a willingness to work towards a trade deal to end the tariffs, it became clear that common ground would be hard to find.

‘Little blow-up’
Carney at points gripped his hands tightly together and his knee jiggled up and down while Trump spoke.

No. It’s just the way it is,” Trump said when asked if there was anything Carney could say in the meeting that would persuade him to drop car tariffs in particular.

And when the US president pressed his claim that Canadians might one day want to join the United States, Carney raised his hand and pushed back.

Respectfully, Canadians’ view on this is not going to change on the 51st state,” said Carney.

A visibly tense Trump then referenced his blazing Oval Office row with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February — if only to insist that there would be no repeat.

“We had another little blow-up with somebody else, that was much different — this is a very friendly conversation,” Trump said.

Carney gave a thumbs up to reporters as he left the White House after just over two hours. He is due to give a press conference at 3pm (1900 GMT).

The meeting was highly anticipated after a Canadian election during which Carney vowed that the United States would never “own us.”

Carney has since vowed to remake NATO member Canada’s ties with the United States in perhaps its biggest political and economic shift since World War II.

Trump has slapped general tariffs of 25 percent on Canada and Mexico and sector-specific levies on autos, some of which have been suspended pending negotiations. He has imposed similar duties on steel and aluminum.

‘Important moment’
The US president inserted himself into Canada’s election early on by calling on Canada to avoid tariffs by becoming the “cherished 51st state.”

Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party had been on track to win the vote but Trump’s attacks, combined with the departure of unpopular premier Justin Trudeau, transformed the race.

Carney, who replaced Trudeau as prime minister in March, convinced voters that his experience managing economic crises made him the ideal candidate to defy Trump.

The political newcomer previously served as governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, and in the latter post he played a key role reassuring markets after the 2016 Brexit vote.

Carney is known for weighing his words carefully but still faced a challenge dealing with the confrontational Trump on the US president’s home turf.

“This is a very important moment for him, since he insisted during the campaign that he could take on Mr Trump,” Genevieve Tellier, a political scientist at the University of Ottawa, told AFP.

One point in Carney’s favor is that he is not Trudeau, the slick former prime minister whom Trump famously loathed and belittled as “governor” of Canada, she added.

An army Captain and a soldier have been killed by Boko Haram terrorists in a midnight attack on Izge community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State

According to the Emir of Gwoza, Mohammed Shehu Timta, the attack happened around 1 am on Wednesday when the terrorists infiltrated the farming community, shooting sporadically before the personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces with the assistance of local hunters, vigilantes and members of the civilian Joint Task Force repelled the terrorists, killing three of them while recovering items from the fleeing terrorists

Several motorcycles, bicycles, an operational vehicle and a sophisticated rifle, all belonging to the terrorists were recovered.

Speaking to Channels Television Wednesday morning, the traditional ruler commended the military, men of the Civilian Joint Task Force, Local hunters, vigilantes and the resilient community of Izge for their collaborative efforts in repelling the attack while praying for the repose of the souls of the departed military personnel and their family during this irreparable loss.

He also called on urgent step by the Federal Government to address the renewed attacks, as people prepare for this year’s farming season.

“My people in Izge community came under Boko Haram invasion today at about 1am. Unfortunately, a Captain and a Soldier paid the supreme price. But in a brave and swift reaction from the military, men of the Civilian Joint Task Force, Local hunters, vigilantes and the resilient community the attack was repelled with killing of three terrorists.

“As the community is still trailing the terrorists, over 10 bicycles, motorcycles, one sized military vehicle and one sophisticated rifle with ammunition were recovered from the terrorists.

“Let me commend our military forces, other security agencies, men of CJTF, local hunters and vigilantes and our resilient people for their bravery, because as I speak, many people are still in the bush combing the whereabouts of the fleeing terrorists.

“Let me equally commend our passionate governor, Professor Babagana Zulum for his relentless efforts in providing enabling resources to the security agencies and our CJTF members in the fight against Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists which has brought about relative peace and resettlement of many displaced people back to their ancestral homes.

“I want to equally call on the federal government to equip our security forces with technological warfare/weapons to defeat the remnants of Boko Haram members terrorising our communities almost on daily basis”.

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has banned the sale of alcoholic beverages while accusing military and other security personnel of promoting criminality and antisocial vices in Maiduguri and its environs.

The Governor said that ex and current serving personnel of the Nigerian security forces have played a significant role in influencing the civilian populace into criminality, radicalism, prostitution and other vices, heightening terrorism threats in the state.

The governor said this on Tuesday at the inauguration of a reconstituted committee on “revocation of illegal hotels, brothels, shanties, and criminal hideouts and curbing the menace of antisocial vices” at the council chambers of the government house in Maiduguri.

“I am happy to know that army officers are here, especially the military, police, and others are here because most of these activities were committed by whom? Some of them are dismissed army officers, dismissed security officers, current army officers, men and officers, including civilians.

“So, there should be no sacred cow in this matter if we want the Maiduguri metropolis and indeed the state to get rid of insurgency, terrorism and other sorts of criminalities,” Zulum said.

In the brief event, the Zulum reconstituted and re-empowered the committee to purge the state of all forms of criminality and antisocial vices in the Maiduguri metropolis and surrounding environments.

The ban on sales and consumption of liquor and alcoholic contents, according to the governor, stems from the rising cases of clashes among rival groups, cultism, prostitution, drug abuse, thuggery and theft, which have led to loss of lives and valuables.

The governor co-opted the military, police, civil defence, and several other security agencies, including the civilian JTF, to join the committee for a holistic approach.

Acknowledging the task before the reconstituted committee, the co-chair decried the deteriorating internal security in Maiduguri and outlined the committee’s immediate line of action.

With the liquor embargo and the demolition of hotels and infrastructures identified as harbouring criminal activities, it is yet to be seen if this decision will affect internal revenue in the state amidst the controversies surrounding the tax reform bill before the national assembly, which the Borno State Governor and notable leaders from the state have championed.