United States President, Mr. Donald Trump, has doubled down on his claim that there is Christian genocide in Nigeria, describing the country as a disgrace and accusing the federal government of failure to protect the citizens.
The US President made the remarks on Fox News Radio’s ‘The Brian Kilmeade Show’ on Friday night.
This is just as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on the federal government to take decisive action against the perpetrators of the attacks on Christian communities.
In the same vein, United States Congressman, Riley Moore, has called on the federal government to urgently confront armed groups in the Middle Belt following the kidnapping of more than 300 children and 12 teachers from St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State on Friday.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has received security briefing from the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi and restated his commitment to eliminating terrorists and bandits in the country.
Tinubu also insisted that insecurity remains the most troubling challenge facing Nigeria, especially the Northern region.
Trump had, on November 1, threatened military action in Nigeria over an alleged persecution of Christians.
The US president had earlier, in a message on social media, acknowledged the atrocities that Christians in Nigeria faced daily and accused radical Islamists of being responsible for the mass slaughter of Christians.
He also declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
But the Nigerian government rejected the Christian genocide claim, insisting that there is no religious persecution in the country.
During his first tenure, Trump had declared Nigeria a CPC, but President Joe Biden lifted the CPC designation in 2021.
But despite the pushback by the Nigerian government, Trump doubled down on his attacks on Nigeria on Friday, accusing the country of failing to protect Christians.
The US President made the remarks on Fox News Radio’s ‘The Brian Kilmeade Show’, said: I think Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace.
“They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s a genocide. And I’m furious about it.”
“And we pay, you know, we give a lot of subsidy to Nigeria, which we’re going to end up stopping.
“The government’s done nothing. They are very ineffective. They’re killing Christians at will. And you know, until I got involved in it two weeks ago, nobody even talked about it,” he added.
Trump’s comments came a few hours after a high-level delegation of Nigerian security leaders, led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, met with some American government officials, including the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to discuss ways to stop violence in Nigeria.
In an update provided by the Special Assistant to the Secretary of War on Public Affairs and Senior Advisor, Sean Parnell, both leaders discussed ways to make tangible progress on stopping violence against Christians in Nigeria and combating West African jihadist terrorist groups.
“Secretary Hegseth emphasised the need for Nigeria to demonstrate commitment and take both urgent and enduring action to stop violence against Christians and conveyed the Department’s desire to work by, with, and through Nigeria to deter and degrade terrorists that threaten the United States.”
Prosecute Those Behind Attacks on Christians, Italian PM Tells FG
Meanwhile, the Italian Prime Minister, Meloni, has called on the federal government to take decisive action against perpetrators of attacks on Christian communities.
In a statement posted on X, Meloni condemned the latest outbreak of violence, describing the attacks as heinous and unacceptable.
According to an online medium, she also urged the government to intensify security measures and ensure those behind the killings are brought to justice.
“We strongly condemn the renewed violence that took place today against Christian communities in Nigeria,” she wrote.
“Religious freedom is an inviolable right: we ask the Nigerian government to strengthen the protection of Christian communities and all religious communities and to prosecute those responsible for these heinous attacks.”
The Italian leader said her country stands in solidarity with the families affected and communities living in fear as a result of religiously targeted violence.
“Italy expresses all its closeness to the victims and to the communities in Nigeria who today feel in danger because of their religious beliefs,” she added.
US Congressman Moore Urges FG to Disarm Middle Belt Militants
Meanwhile, United States Congressman Moore has called on the federal government to confront armed groups in the Middle Belt urgently.
In a statement posted yesterday on his X handle, Moore expressed outrage over the reported attack on a Catholic school in Niger State.
“As a father, seeing these attacks makes my stomach turn.”
He urged authorities to intensify efforts against those he accused of carrying out the violence, saying the government “must disarm the radical Muslim Fulani militants terrorising the Middle Belt.”
The congressman further alleged that violence targeting Christians in the country is worsening.
“The persecution of Christians in Nigeria is escalating out of control. I believe it is now a genocide,” he wrote.
He called for closer cooperation between Abuja and Washington to curb insecurity, saying, “It is up to the Nigerian government to work with the United States to stop the killings and kidnappings of our brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Moore warned that continued attacks could prompt action from the US administration.
“This human tragedy has to end, or else, @POTUS has made it clear that he will take action to stop this tragedy,” he added.
Tinubu Restates Commitment to Eliminate Terrorists, Bandits
In a related development, President Bola Tinubu has restated his commitment to eliminating terrorists and bandits in the country, insisting that insecurity remains the most troubling challenge facing Nigeria, especially the Northern region.
He said urgent efforts were required to rebuild trust, strengthen unity and restore safety across communities.
Tinubu, represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, spoke at the 25th anniversary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the launch of its Endowment Fund.
The president said insecurity must be tackled decisively to prevent further economic decline and educational setbacks.
Tinubu said, “Nothing troubles me more gravely than the security crisis bedevilling Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria.
“We cannot prosper when one limb of the national body is paralysed.”
He said his administration inherited complex security challenges but was addressing them with “urgency and determination.”
The president said that the government was committed to eliminating terrorist and bandit groups operating in the North and reversing the region’s economic decline.
He expressed optimism about Northern Nigeria’s economic prospects, saying he looks forward to the day crude oil tankers begin to roll out from Kolmani and other northern oil fields.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, met with President Tinubu to brief him on the country’s security situation following recent abductions and attacks, especially in the northern region of the country.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the meeting in a post yesterday, noting that Ajayi met with the president at the Presidential Villa on Friday night.
Photos released showed the DSS Chief in the president’s office.
Although no further details of the briefing’s outcome were provided, officials said it focused on the current security situation.
“The Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Mr. Tosin Adeola Ajayi, briefed President Bola Tinubu on the security situation on Friday night,” Onanuga wrote.
The federal government has established a joint task force involving all security agencies to comb the northern region for abducted schoolchildren.
Tinubu had earlier ordered the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi State to coordinate rescue efforts.
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