Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has sharply criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of military action against Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians, arguing that the country’s security crisis is far more complex than a religious conflict.
Speaking during a media chat on Sunday, Soludo said Trump’s comments — suggesting the U.S. could intervene militarily to “protect Christians in Nigeria” — present a distorted picture of the nation’s challenges.
According to the governor, Nigeria’s insecurity cannot be reduced to a clash between Muslims and Christians, and any serious conversation must be rooted in facts, context, and diplomacy.
“If Nigeria ever needs international help, it must be based on formal requests for support — not on threats,” Soludo said.
He dismissed Trump’s rhetoric as misguided, comparing it to the absurdity of African nations threatening the U.S. over incidents of police violence against Black Americans.
“During the #BlackLivesMatter protests, when policemen killed some Black people, did anyone suggest that Africa should invade America? That would make no sense,” he said.
Soludo emphasized that while foreign nations may express opinions about global affairs, any actual intervention must honour Nigeria’s sovereignty and international law.
“America can have its views on global issues, but its actions must remain within international law,” he added.
The governor urged Nigeria to focus on internal dialogue and genuine national conversations as the sustainable path to resolving persistent insecurity.
“There must be deeper conversations. It all ends in dialogue, and I am sure the Nigerian government will respond decisively. A country as large as Nigeria is doing a lot to protect its people,” he noted.
Trump’s “Guns-A-Blazing” Threat
Trump, in a Saturday post on his Truth Social platform, claimed that “thousands of Christians” were being killed in Nigeria by “Radical Islamists,” and said he had directed the newly renamed Department of War to prepare for possible action.
He warned that the U.S. would cut all forms of assistance to Nigeria and might go into the country “guns-a-blazing” if the Nigerian government “fails to stop the killings.”
Trump did not specify which groups were responsible or provide evidence for the alleged atrocities.
The U.S. president had earlier announced plans to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged religious persecution.
Nigeria, however, has firmly rejected claims that Christians are being targeted more than other faith groups.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” President Bola Tinubu said in a Saturday statement.
Tinubu–Trump Meeting Likely
Presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala suggested on Sunday that a meeting between Tinubu and Trump could take place “in the coming days,” either in Abuja or Washington.
Bwala said any disagreements over the nature of Nigeria’s insecurity — including whether attacks target only Christians or citizens of all faiths — would be discussed during the leaders’ engagement.
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