?urges FG to fix security gaps

Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, has lashed out at Donald Trump, president of the United States for alleging a ?genocide? of Christians in Nigeria, describing the claim as ?hypocrisy at its peak? and a dangerous ploy to justify foreign interference.

Falana warned that Trump?s rhetoric not only distorts Nigeria?s complex security crisis but also exposes Abuja?s weak diplomatic response to global misinformation.

Falana, speaking on a Politics Today so Channels Television, accused Trump of spreading divisive propaganda to justify possible U.S. military action, describing his statement as both ?false and hypocritical.?

He urged President Bola Tinubu?s administration to treat the controversy as a wake-up call to rebuild Nigeria?s global credibility and strengthen internal security.

?Mr. Trump has lied to the whole world by alleging Christian genocide in Nigeria..Instead of losing sleep over his falsehood, our government must look inward and fix the internal security failures that created this embarrassment?, Falana said.

Trump?s remarks, coupled with threats of potential U.S. intervention over alleged persecution of Christians, have triggered outrage in Abuja and anxiety among diplomats.

According to an investigation by Semafor, Nigeria?s diplomatic presence in Washington has been ?minimal to non-existent? in recent years, leaving a vacuum exploited by separatist and religious lobby groups that feed conservative Christian networks with narratives of targeted Christian killings.

Falana warned that the absence of a strong diplomatic voice has allowed misinformation to shape U.S. policy debates about Nigeria.

?If Nigeria had a stronger presence in Washington, this narrative might not have gained such traction,? he said

According to a BBC report, Kamara Hudson, former White House Africa adviser said this was ?not an era to be casual about diplomacy,? stressing that reputation and security can be easily undermined when false narratives dominate the global stage.

Falana agreed, saying the government?s failure to appoint a substantive ambassador in Washington had cost Nigeria valuable influence.

?Why have you not appointed ambassadors? Those who can sit at the table for diplomatic and security conversations about your country??he asked.

Falana accused Trump of selective morality and ?absolute contempt for Africans.?

?Here is a man supporting genocide in Gaza and silent about daily mass shootings in his own country, yet pretending to defend Christians abroad. This is hypocrisy at its peak?, he said.

The lawyer argued that violence in Nigeria, whether from terrorism, banditry, or kidnapping is driven by criminality and greed, not religion.

?The killers do not care about your faith., They care about ransom, land, or cattle.?, he said.

He called for a tougher stance on banditry and kidnapping, urging the Tinubu administration to end the ?cash-for-ransom? culture and implement the national grazing ban by establishing ranches.

?Bandits operate freely, victims? families pay ransoms, and the state does little to trace or prosecute the criminals. That?s the real scandal?, he said.

Addressing rumours of a coup attempt, Falana warned the government against secrecy, saying Nigerians deserve the truth.

?The government has said there was no attempt at a coup. But it must come out clearly. When people are planning a coup, they take advantage of mass anger in the land to strike?, he said.

He cautioned that economic hardship was deepening social unrest.

?The majority of our people remain economically disabled. You cannot have a few people living like lords while the majority live in penury. That?s what fuels discontent?, he said..

Nigeria?s foreign ministry has rejected Trump?s claim, insisting that violence in the country is largely criminal and not sectarian.

It said the government remains open to cooperation with foreign partners but will not compromise national sovereignty.

China and the European Union have also dismissed the notion of a ?Christian genocide,? saying there is no credible evidence to support U.S. intervention.

Falana warned that Nigeria must ?assert itself in the face of a Trump presidency,? recalling past American interventions in Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan.

?The United States has never gone to any of those countries in the interest of the people,? he said.

Backing Falana?s argument, Babajide Ogunsowo, data analyst and co-founder of Leadership by Data, said framing Nigeria?s insecurity as a religious war distorts reality.

?If we keep calling it a war on terrorism, we?ll get the narrative wrong. Nigeria is fighting not just terrorism but a war for survival, unity, and the future. A religious framing only fuels division?, Ogunsowo

Drawing on Pew Research data, Ogunsowo explained that Nigeria is the only country globally ranked among the top ten for both Christian and Muslim populations.

?Our diversity is our strength, but it also makes us vulnerable when religion is weaponised,? he said.

Citing figures from the International Institute of Religious Freedom, Ogunsowo noted that while 88% of those killed by non-state actors in 2023 were Christians, the motives were often criminal or political, not religious.

?These numbers are quoted globally, often without context, shaping dangerous perceptions about Nigeria,? he said.

He added that reports by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Open Doors International had amplified the ?Christian persecution? narrative without addressing structural causes like poverty, arms trafficking, and weak governance.

Using data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), Ogunsowo identified Borno, Zamfara, and Katsina as the epicentres of terrorist and bandit activity in 2025.

?Borno?s proximity to Lake Chad and porous borders with Niger make it easy for arms and fighters to flow in,? he explained, urging Nigeria to tighten border security and invest in surveillance.

He also highlighted education as a key factor in combating extremism. Quoting Pew Research, he said 65% of Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa lack formal education, compared to 30% of Christians, a gap that fuels marginalisation and radicalisation.

?Education is not just a development issue, it?s a national security issue,? Ogunsowo said.

Falana drew a parallel with Cuba, which despite decades of U.S. sanctions continues to provide free education and healthcare.

?That is how you mobilise people to defend their country. Our sovereignty must be anchored not in slogans but in the welfare and safety of our people?, he said.

He urged both federal and state governments to tackle economic inequality, expand access to education, and restore faith in public institutions.

?The Nigerian people must be mobilised to defend their own country. If you are honest with them, they will stand with you to fight anti-democratic forces?, he said.

Both experts said that the episode offers Nigeria a moment of reckoning. Trump?s remarks, they argue, expose not only Washington?s misinformation ecosystem but also Nigeria?s diplomatic vacuum and internal weaknesses.

?We are being treated like a colony of the United States because we failed to challenge falsehoods and defend our narrative.

?This is the time to sit up diplomatically and domestically, an wed show that Nigeria can manage its own affairs?, he said.

Ogunsowo agreed, noting that peace will depend on how Nigeria defines itself: ?If we take a religious stance, we?ll get it wrong. The real enemy is anyone who profits when we are divided.? (BUSINESS DAY)

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