Outrage In Nigeria Over Trump’s Plan Attack

Outrage yesterday trailed plans by US President Donald Trump to attack Nigeria over alleged genocidal killings of Christians in the country.

Recall that President Trump had threatened to take such action, following the failure of the Federal Government to check the high level of insecurity, which had been compounded by the activities of a new terror group, Lakurawa, kidnappers and bandits, aside from Boko Haram.

But several groups and individuals in the country have railed against the plan, saying that though the Federal Government had been unable to address the security challenges in the country, it was incumbent on the US government to assist her in contending with the problem.

They also said the killings in the country were not targeted at any particular group or faith, stressing that both Muslims and Christians were often killed by terror groups and other violent criminal gangs in the country.

Among those who reacted to the planned attack yesterday were the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN; the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, retd; Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi; the presidential candidate of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso and civil society organisations, CSOs.

Efforts to get the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, and Sharia Council to react proved abortive but the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, specifically said it would issue a statement on the issue today.

Reacting to the planned attack, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, said God had used President Trump to blow the trumpet on the mass killings in Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Borno, Southern Kaduna and other parts of Nigeria, and urged the federal government to put an end to the genocide.

PFN’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr Sylvanus Ukafia, said: “Christian communities have been targeted in unabated mass killings in Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Borno, Southern Kaduna and other parts of Nigeria.

“The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has put out the statistics online that all of us are aware.

“As the Lord has stirred up President Trump to blow the trumpet on this evil, we join all peace loving and right thinking Nigerians to call on the federal government to put an end to this genocide.

‘’Romans 12:19 NLT says ‘Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord. God will determine how to avenge us in this matter based on scripture.”

On its part, the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, stated: “President Donald Trump of the United States has threatened to attack Nigeria over the Christian genocide narrative.

“Taken contextually, Trump’s threat should be seen as directed at terrorist groups. If that is so, our response to the threat is simple and straightforward.

“Terrorists are not part of us. Their methods stand in contradistinction to the tenets of Islam. We condemn terrorism and we will not associate with those who kill and maim. We reject ideologies of kidnapping and extortion. They are alien to Islam.

“Regarding President Trump’s threat, Nigerians should remain calm. There is no cause for alarm, particularly for peace-loving and law-abiding Muslims and other Nigerians.

“US strikes will make sense if they are directed at terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, ISIS and ISWAP who have been killing both Muslims and Christians’ bandits who have been kidnapping both Muslims and Christians should also be on Trump’s hit list. Trump and the US will be hailed if this is the objective.

“The truth is that the Nigerian government has been fighting these criminals. Our gallant soldiers have been in the trenches all along against these enemies of humanity. Both our government and the good people of Nigeria will be glad if America will confront them.

‘’We need such help and it will be good riddance to bad rubbish if every Boko Haram, ISIS and ISWAP element in this country can be eliminated.

“But such strikes will be considered aggression and a resumption of the Christian crusade of the 19th century if innocent Muslims and mosques are targeted or if Muslim leaders are attacked or become victims of rendition and the attendant waterboarding.

“We urge law-abiding Muslims and other Nigerians to eschew thoughts of anti-Trump or anti-American actions over this threat. Nigerians should go about their lawful duties without entertaining any fear. The world is watching.

“In particular, we warn against the formation of any militant group by any Islamic organisation in response to Trump’s threat. Such groups are most likely to end up harassing innocent Nigerians, including Muslims.

“Muslim youths, North and South, of the country are advised to avoid public protests over Trump’s threat. We should allow the Nigerian government to handle the matter through diplomatic channels.
“To the Nigerian government, we advice persuasion and robust diplomacy. Threats should not be met with counter-threats.

“We of the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, will not betray our avowed motto, namely, ‘Dialogue, Not Violence’ and we implore fellow Nigerians, particularly Muslim youths, to imbibe this principle of nonviolence.

“As we draw the curtain, we appeal to Muslims to continue the spirit of forgiveness, tolerance and love. We must not allow any feeling of hatred, vengeance or transferred aggression towards our Christian neighbours.

“Ditto for foreigners in our midst. We must not forget that hospitality is a core principle in Islam. We have no hard feelings towards American citizens because we are aware that there is a huge difference between American citizens and their governments. The average American is warm, humane and hospitable.”

Also reacting, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, retd, warned that the diplomatic tension between the United States of America and Nigeria over alleged “Christian genocide” could lead to a dangerous crisis if not urgently addressed.

Buratai, in a statement, said the genocide claim was false and oversimplified Nigeria’s complex security situation.

He warned that any US attempt to threaten or pressure Nigeria would backfire, weaken America’s global credibility, and push Nigeria closer to China and Russia.

He advised the US to abandon threats and instead pursue private, strategic cooperation through intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism support, and economic partnership.

He criticised the federal government for failing to counter the damaging narrative internationally and urged immediate diplomatic action, including lobbying in Washington and engagement of Christian and Muslim leaders to speak with one voice.

The former Army chief warned the USA that coercion, sanctions or military intimidation against “Africa’s largest economy and most populous democracy” would only damage American credibility and drive Nigeria into the arms of China and Russia.

“Public ultimatums weaken, not strengthen, American influence. A nation of over 200 million people cannot be bullied into compliance,” he said.

He argued that a destabilised Nigeria would ignite regional chaos, intensifying terrorism, illegal migration and economic collapse across West Africa, outcomes that directly undermined US security interests.

Buratai also issued a blunt message to the Nigerian government, warning that silence in the face of global misinformation was now a national security risk.

“This is not the time for indignant denials. Nigeria must reclaim its story, mobilise credible Christian and Muslim voices, and dismantle the genocide falsehood before it becomes policy.

“This is a defining moment. Every Nigerian must unite behind the state. A divided nation invites intervention; a united one repels it,” he said.

On his part, former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, disagreed with pronouncements on Nigeria by President Donald Trump, insisting that insecurity doesn’t distinguish religious, ethnic or political beliefs.

Kwankwaso, who took to his X handle, said: “I have noted with increasing concern the heightened pronouncements on Nigeria by President Donald Trump. This follows his designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern.”

“It is important to emphasise that our country is a sovereign nation whose people face different threats from outlaws across the country. The insecurity we face does not distinguish based on religious, ethnic or political beliefs.

“The United States should assist the Nigerian authorities with better cutting-edge technology to tackle these problems, rather than posing a threat that could further polarise our country.

“The Nigerian government should also consider appointing special envoys from its distinguished diplomats to engage the American government. Additionally, it is necessary to appoint permanent ambassadors to represent Nigeria’s interests on the international stage.

“To my fellow countrymen, this is an important moment where we should emphasise unity of belonging over division.”

In its reaction, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, asserted that President Trump’s declaration of Nigeria as a country of particular concern was due to failure of President Bola Tinubu to appoint ambassadors who would have informed the world on the true state of affairs in Nigeria.

Executive Director, CISLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani, said: “The absence of having ambassadors and high commissioners has created this condition for people to also go and do things without actually government coming up with an authentic and genuine response, because ambassadors would have organised a session to brief, for example, the State Department, even the presidents of other countries about the true situation in Nigeria.

“Some people have felt that they have not been protected against people that carry arms against them, therefore, they felt there’s no justice, and because so many commission of enquiry have been set up in terms of this killings with the violence against Nigerians.

“There was a congressional hearing in the U.S., where some people alleged that they are being targeted. The Nigerian government was not even in that congressional hearing. The Nigerian Embassy was not there. Therefore, the U.S. Congress believe people have been killed.”

Also speaking on the issue, the Director, Programmes, Yiaga Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu, said: “As a Nigerian, I wouldn’t even focus on this declaration, but rather on the fact that the government has consistently failed to address a growing pattern of citizens’ lives being lost.

“We have had increasingly lots of Nigerians who are killed and murdered, some in their sleep, and there’s been a pattern of people within different parts of the country, and every day these lives are lost, and there’s been nothing to address that.

“So, I wouldn’t call it a religious genocide or a Christian genocide. I would say it’s just a disregard for human life and dignity, and we do not need the U.S. to make a declaration for us to call a state of emergency on the lack of dignity to human life in Nigeria.

“Thousands of Nigerians are killed, and whether we like it or not, there is a pattern to genocide. It may not be religious per se or ethnic, but it is a genocide because a category of people within a space, a category of people have been subjected to constant fear, and we have people losing their lives.

“I know that in Nigeria, we are used to pushing things under the carpet or pretending like we are not in a bad situation that the average Nigerian cannot guarantee or speak confidently about the safety of their lives.’’

However, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, said yesterday President Tinubu told new service chiefs to deliver results and pledged full government support in tackling evolving security threats.

The presidential aide posted an excerpt of Tinubu’s address on X, saying the president was “well ahead of the orchestrated game unfolding in America” when he spoke to the chiefs on Thursday.

In the excerpt shared, Tinubu warned that security threats were mutating and urged the military hierarchy to act decisively.

He said: “Security threats are constantly evolving, constantly mutating. Of grave concern to our administration is the recent emergence of new armed groups in the North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South.

“We must not allow these new threats to fester. We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right in the head.

“I charge you, as the heads of our nation’s armed forces, to carry out your duties with patriotic zeal. Nigerians expect results, not excuses,” the excerpt read.

He further told them to deploy technology where necessary and promised full backing from the presidency.

“I charge you also to be innovative, pre-emptive, and courageous. Let’s stay ahead of those who seek to threaten our peace.

“Let us deploy technology where necessary. We cannot allow the crisis that began in 2009 to persist any longer… I promise to provide all the support you need to get the job done,” Tinubu said.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said yesterday, the Federal Government was working assiduously with the Americans to combat all forms of banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.

Also yesterday, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, said President Tinubu will meet with his United States counterpart, Donald Trump, in the coming days to discuss allegations of a Christian genocide in Nigeria.

Bwala, who disclosed this in a post on X on Saturday, said the planned meeting would focus on counter-terrorism cooperation and clarifying misconceptions about the nature of terrorist attacks in Nigeria.

“Both President @officialABAT and President @realDonaldTrump have shared interests in the fight against insurgency and all forms of terrorism against humanity.

“President Trump has assisted Nigeria a lot by authorising the sale of arms, and President Tinubu has adequately utilised that opportunity in the fight against terrorism, with massive results to show for it.

“As for the differences as to whether terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians or all faiths, those would be discussed and resolved by the two leaders when they meet in the coming days, either in the State House or White House,’’ Bwala wrote.

US envoy, Waltz invites Nicki Minaj to discuss ‘protection of persecuted Christians in Nigeria’
In a related development, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, has invited music star, Nicki Minaj, for a discussion, following her online comments concerning “religious persecution in Nigeria.”

Waltz’s invitation was prompted by President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would redesignate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”.

Trump cited allegations of a “Christian genocide” in the country, attributing the violence to radical Islamist groups.

He stated he would instruct the house appropriations committee to investigate the matter immediately.

In response, the US-based Trinidadian rapper took to her social media platform to express her appreciation for the religious freedom she experiences in the United States.

The 12th time Grammy-nominated star stated that no group should face persecution for their faith and urged her followers to be aware of rising religious violence globally and to pray for those affected.

Waltz responded to Minaj’s X post, thanking her for using her platform to speak out on the issue of “Christians being persecuted in Nigeria”.

“@NICKIMINAJ, thank you for using your platform to speak out in defence of the Christians being persecuted in Nigeria.

“We cannot allow this to continue. Every brother and sister of Christ must band together and say, “Enough,” he wrote.

The ambassador then extended an invitation to the singer to visit him at the US embassy to the UN “for an in-depth discussion about what our administration is doing to protect Christians’ freedoms all over the world.

“If you ever find yourself in New York, come by the US Embassy to the United Nations. I would love to speak with you in more depth about what our administration is doing to protect Christians’ freedoms all over the world,” he added.

We’re preparing for action in Nigeria — US War Secretary
Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth, United States Secretary of War, has said his department was preparing for possible military action in Nigeria.

Hegseth made the statement weekend, in response to a post by US President, Donald Trump, on Truth Social, in which the president accused the Nigerian government of “turning a blind eye” to persistent attacks on Christians.

In the post, Trump warned that the United States would withdraw all forms of aid and could launch a military operation against terrorist groups in Nigeria.

Responding on X (formerly Twitter), Hegseth reaffirmed the US president’s stance, saying the Department of War had begun preparations.

“Yes sir. The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria, and anywhere, must end immediately.

The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Hegseth wrote.