The United States (US) President Donald Trump has expressed disgust over the wanton killings of Christians in Nigeria and accused the government of supporting genocide in some parts of the north.
Trump made the accusation last Friday on his verified Truth social media handle urged the US Senators to list Nigeria among the Countries of Particular Concern (CPC).
In a social media post criticising what he called the “mass slaughter” of Christians in the country, Trump wrote that the United States would “immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria” and warned the Nigerian government to “move fast”.
When President Tinubu also reacted on social media last Saturday, November 1, saying that, “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” Trump , immediately countered that he has ordered the US War Department to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria as he continues to accuse the nation of not doing enough to stem violence against Christians, particularly in the Northern parts of the country.
Daniel Bwala, one of President Tinubu’s spokesperson, also on that Saturday said in a statement that the two presidents will “meet in the coming days,” either in the State House, Abuja, or White House, Washington to iron out things amicably.
His reaction, which has gone viral on social media came moments after Trump announced that he had asked the War Department to prepare for possible “fast” military action in Nigeria if the government fails to crack down on the killing of Christians in the country.
Bwala wrote: “President Trump has assisted Nigeria a lot by authorising the sale of arms to Nigeria, and President Tinubu has adequately utilised the opportunity in the fight against terrorism, for which we have massive results to show for it.
“As for the differences as to whether terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians or, in fact, all faiths and no faiths, the differences, if they exist, would be discussed and resolved by the two leaders when they meet in the coming days, either in the State House or White House.”
It would be recalled that Conservative politicians in the US have fueled the genocide accusations in Nigeria.
In March, US Congressman Chris Smith called for Nigeria to be listed by the State Department as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), a move announced by Trump on Friday over what he called an “existential threat” to the African nation’s Christian population.
And in early October, US Senator Ted Cruz and House Republican Riley Moore accused the Nigerian government of turning a blind eye to the “mass murder” of Christians in the country.
Some US officials argue that Christians in Nigeria are facing a “genocide” — a claim that Abuja denies.
Earlier, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in Nigeria reportedly accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of selling that narrative outside the country.
Meanwhile, Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno central in the upper Legislative chambers has called on the federal government to engage seasoned diplomats to defend Nigeria’s image following President Donald Trump’s threat.
In a statement on Saturday, Ndume said diplomats should be engaged to help defend Nigeria’s image on the global stage.
“Before things get out of hand, Nigeria should engage seasoned diplomats like Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Babagana Kingibe, Professor Sulu Gambari, and Amina Mohammed in the United Nations,” he said.
“They should also engage the American embassy in Nigeria because they have the facts.
“We can change the narrative by ensuring that we aren’t tagged ‘country of particular concern,’ but ‘country of special concern,’ so that they can give us all the support, including arms and ammunition, to effectively contain terrorists.”
