A coalition of outspoken northern women has blasted US President Donald Trump over his threat of military intervention in Nigeria, warning that “the language of war has never brought healing to our land, and it never will.”
The group, Voices for Inclusion and Equity for Women (VIEW), said attempts to portray Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious war were not only “false and dangerous” but risked tearing the nation apart.
“To frame Nigeria’s insecurity as a battle between Muslims and Christians is to erase the lived realities of millions who have suffered violence regardless of faith,” the coalition said. “Such rhetoric will only deepen division and weaken the work of peacebuilders striving to rebuild trust.”
Trump’s comments came shortly after he redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern (CPC)” over alleged religious freedom violations — a move that has sparked outrage across the country.
VIEW said Nigeria’s bloodshed had little to do with religion, stressing that poverty, politics, climate change, and impunity were the real fuel behind the violence. It also noted that both Muslim and Christian communities in the north had suffered devastating attacks from insurgents and armed groups.
“Women and children have carried the heaviest burden of this violence,” the coalition lamented. “They have been widowed, displaced, assaulted, and yet expected to hold broken communities together.”
The group rejected any notion of foreign intervention, insisting that peace would only come through justice, inclusion, and responsible leadership at home.
“What Nigeria needs is not a foreign saviour, but responsible diplomacy that supports peace without inflaming tensions,” it said. “Peace will not come from foreign threats or partisan narratives—it will emerge from inclusive solutions that place justice and equity at the core.
“As northern women, we stand for peace grounded in justice, equality, and respect for all. The language of war has never brought healing to our land—and it never will.”
