Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, has urged the Federal Government to immediately deploy Nigeria’s most respected diplomats to counter what he described as a dangerous misrepresentation of the country’s image abroad, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Christians were being slaughtered in Nigeria.
Trump, in a post shared on his Truth Social platform and the White House’s X handle, declared Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” alleging mass killings of Christians.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
“I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern.’ But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done.”
Under U.S. law, countries tagged as “of particular concern” are accused of violating human rights and risk facing sanctions, restricted aid, and visa bans for officials.
But Ndume said it was time Nigeria fought back diplomatically.
“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.
“The good thing about America is that if they know the truth, they will stick to it.”
Ndume faulted both the Bola Tinubu administration and the Senate for ignoring earlier warnings from U.S. congressman Riley Moore.
He said the government must act fast by engaging Washington and presenting data that proves terrorist attacks in Nigeria affect both Muslims and Christians.
“I have alerted the government; I even moved a motion. Nigeria is a sovereign state,” Ndume said.
“It isn’t about what the United States can do to us, but about the misconception and ripple effects of classifying us as a country of concern.
“We should engage the American government by presenting facts and figures.
“By engaging the U.S. government, we should demand that they hear the other side of the story from the Nigerian government and the Muslim community. Muslims have been killed too. The genocide isn’t against Christians but Nigerians generally.”
