Riley Moore, a member of the US House of Representatives, has said that China has no right to dictate America’s foreign policy.
Moore was reacting to China’s disapproval of Trump’s threat of military action in Nigeria as part of efforts to “protect Christians from persecution”.
Recall that on Wednesday, Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, said “as Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force”.
But Moore dismissed China’s stance in an X post, describing the Asian country as a communist autocracy. “President Trump is absolutely right to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering horrific persecution, and even martyrdom, for their faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Moore said.
“China will not dictate our foreign policy to us, and we will not be lectured to by a Communist autocracy that recently arrested 30 Christian pastors for their faith and threw ethnic minorities in concentration camps,” he added.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has accused US President Trump of lying to the world with his claim that thousands of Christians are being killed in Nigeria.
Falana described Trump’s comments as a baseless and divisive narrative that misrepresents Nigeria’s security crisis as a religious war, insisting that the killings across the country are largely driven by criminality, banditry, and ransom-seeking, not by faith.
He made the assertion on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, where he criticised both the US president’s remarks and the Nigerian government’s failure to address the worsening insecurity across the country.
Falana said Trump’s recent statement alleging a “mass slaughter” of Christians in Nigeria was not supported by any credible evidence.
“This is a man who has absolute contempt for Africans,” Falana said. “Mr. Trump has lied to the whole world. He said genocide is taking place in Nigeria, that thousands of Christians have been killed, but there’s no evidence to support that claim.”
According to the SAN, Trump’s portrayal of Nigeria as a country where Christians are being systematically exterminated ignores the reality on the ground.
“The killers, terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and armed robbers — do not care about anyone’s religion. They are driven by greed and the desire for ransom. It’s not about Christianity or Islam. It’s about criminality,” he Falana accused Trump of exploiting religious sentiment for political gain among his evangelical supporters in the United States.
“Trump’s narrative is meant to satisfy his evangelical base in America. He wants to paint a picture of Christian persecution in Africa while ignoring his own country’s moral failures and global human rights abuses,” he said.
He warned that Nigeria must not allow any foreign power to use religion as a tool to divide its people, describing the US intervention as hypocritical and self-serving.
However, Falana urged the federal government to treat it as a wake-up call to confront Nigeria’s internal security crisis with seriousness.
“The government must take this embarrassment as a wake-up call. Under the Constitution, the Nigerian state has the duty to secure the lives and property of all citizens. Yet people are being kidnapped and killed daily without consequences,” he said.
He lamented the government’s failure to enforce key decisions that could have mitigated the violence, such as the ban on open grazing and the establishment of ranches across the country.
“When the Northern and Southern Governors’ Forums agreed that open grazing should be banned, what happened? On my way to Abuja recently, I still saw cattle roaming on major highways. This lawlessness continues because the government has refused to act,” he said.
Falana also condemned the lax response of security agencies to the country’s rampant kidnapping problem.
“Families are forced to pay ransom while the police watch. Today, technology has advanced to the point where every phone call can be traced. Yet our security agencies still rely on families to raise money instead of tracking and arresting criminals. That is unacceptable,” he said.
He described the situation as an embarrassment to a sovereign state, warning that Nigeria was losing control of the monopoly of force to criminal gangs. Falana accused Trump of hypocrisy, pointing out that the United States itself is plagued by gun violence and mass shootings.
He said: “Between 2020 and 2025, over ‘280,000 people’ have been killed by gunmen in America. Trump did not make any statement about that. So what moral authority does he have to lecture Nigeria about killings?”
He also referenced the US support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which he said have led to the deaths of civilians, including women and children. “Trump supports those killings but claims to care about Christians in Nigeria. That is hypocrisy of the highest order,” he said.
Falana further suggested that Trump’s comments were part of a broader geopolitical campaign to weaken African countries and limit China’s growing influence on the continent.
“The same people promoting this false narrative about genocide in Nigeria are also saying Africa must cut ties with China. We must not allow any foreign power to exploit our challenges to advance their economic interests,” he alleged.
The rights lawyer emphasised that both federal and state governments share responsibility for addressing insecurity.
“Crimes like murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery are state offences. Terrorism is a federal crime, but since 2016, the Attorney-General of the Federation has empowered state Attorneys-General to prosecute terror cases. Yet, where are the results?” Falana asked.
He urged the government to reform its security approach, prosecute arrested suspects, and restore public confidence in law enforcement.
“Our government must be in control of the use of force. That is what defines sovereignty. We must mobilize our people, invest in technology, and guarantee law and order in this country.”
While condemning Trump’s “false and reckless” statement, Falana said Nigeria must not deflect from the deeper issue, the government’s failure to secure its citizens.
“For me, it’s not about what Trump says. It’s about what we do as Nigerians to protect our people, restore order, and defend our sovereignty, “, he stated
However, the Campaign for Democracy (CD) has raised the alarm over what it described as reckless and inflammatory comments made by Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, warning that his recent utterances could endanger Nigeria’s national security and strain diplomatic ties with the US.
In a statement signed by its President, Ifeanyi Odili, the pro-democracy group described Gumi’s remarks as “irresponsible, divisive, and capable of inciting violence and extremism.”
The group said the comments were particularly dangerous at a time when Nigeria is battling severe security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, and religious tension.
According to the CD, Gumi’s recent statement suggesting a “Muslim takeover of the White House” is provocative and could be misconstrued as a call for global religious confrontation, potentially prompting hostile diplomatic responses from Washington.
The group said such rhetoric not only undermines Nigeria’s international image but also threatens the country’s economic and security cooperation with the United States.
The statement read in part: “The Campaign for Democracy is compelled to express its deep concern and outrage over the reckless statements made by Sheikh Gumi, which pose a grave threat to Nigeria’s national security and its diplomatic relations with the United States.
“We reject any attempt to use religion as a tool for hatred and intolerance and call on all Nigerians to resist such divisive narratives.”
Odili called on Tinubu, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the National Security Adviser to urgently caution Gumi and prevent further incitement. He said the government must take decisive steps to protect the country’s interests, maintain diplomatic stability, and avert any escalation of violence or international backlash.
The group warned that failure to act could have dire consequences for the nation, including the escalation of extremism, economic instability, international sanctions, and increased internal divisions.
“The government must act now to safeguard Nigeria’s national image, prevent diplomatic isolation, and preserve peace and unity,” the CD insisted.
Referencing the US Constitution, the CD noted that religion is not a qualification or disqualification for public office, as stipulated in Article VI, Clause 3, and therefore Gumi’s comments were unnecessary and misleading.
The group warned that such remarks could provoke anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. and worsen Nigeria’s fragile internal peace.
“We call on the federal government to engage in proactive diplomacy to mitigate any fallout from Gumi’s statements, while promoting interfaith dialogue and national cohesion,” the CD added.
Reiterating its commitment to democracy, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, the organisation urged Nigerians to remain calm, vigilant, and united in rejecting any rhetoric capable of inciting division or hatred.
“We stand with all Nigerians who believe in peace, tolerance, and unity. The future of our country depends on responsible leadership and the rejection of hate speech in all its forms,” the statement said.
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