Human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has urged President Bola Tinubu to decisively confront the challenges of hunger, poverty, and insecurity afflicting millions of Nigerians. Speaking on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today,’ Falana said the United States President Donald Trump lied to the world by alleging a Christian genocide in Nigeria without a shred of evidence. David Lawani monitored the interview
What is your reaction to Donald Trump’s statement on Nigeria?
When I read the statement credited to Donald Trump, the President of the United States, I was taken aback. But honestly, I was not surprised. That’s a man who has always shown contempt for Africans. That was why he targeted South Africa before Nigeria. Both are leading nations on the continent. For Trump, we are either a “shithole country” or a “disgraceful nation.” But let’s examine his statement from a human rights perspective. Mr Trump lied to the world by alleging a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria — a claim without any factual evidence. He said about 3,100 Christians had been killed in Nigeria, but there’s no verifiable proof of that. The truth is that killers in Nigeria, whether terrorists, bandits, or kidnappers, don’t care about your religion. They are driven by greed, land grabbing, or ransom demands. In the Middle Belt, particularly in Benue and Plateau States, most killings are linked to land disputes or open grazing, not religious persecution. Instead of losing sleep over Trump’s falsehoods, the Nigerian government should look inward and ask itself: Where have we gone wrong? As Professor Jibrin Ibrahim once said, this campaign of alleged Christian genocide has been propagated for eight years without any challenge from our government. People go abroad, spread this false narrative, and return unchallenged. We already have solutions that Nigerian governors agreed upon, such as banning open grazing and establishing ranches. Yet, we still see herds of cattle roaming the streets of Abuja and other cities.
Why has the ruling class refused to implement ranching, which would provide security, education, and order?
Our government must also stop allowing kidnappers and bandits to operate freely. With modern technology, it is easy to trace calls and locate hideouts, yet families of victims are left to pay ransoms. This is unacceptable. Meanwhile, Trump, who claims to care about Christians in Nigeria, supports Israel’s attacks on Gaza, a blatant act of genocide condemned by the International Criminal Court. He backs the destruction of hospitals and schools in Palestine while pretending to defend Christians elsewhere. This hypocrisy exposes his real motives. Instead of pandering to such deceit, the Nigerian government should take Trump’s remarks as a wake-up call to fix insecurity and communicate its counter-insurgency efforts effectively to the international community.
How do we come out of all these challenges?
We must focus not only on the federal government but also on state governments. Crimes like murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery are state offences. Even though terrorism is a federal offence, since 2015, the Attorney-General of the Federation has given state attorneys-general the authority to prosecute such cases. Yet, none have done so. When President Tinubu visited Plateau State, he ordered the arrest of those responsible for the violence that had occurred there. The Inspector-General of Police later said 53 suspects were arrested. Where are they now? How many have been charged in court? This culture of impunity must end. Attorney Generals must follow up on cases. Whenever the police parade suspects, they should demand access to the case files and ensure that prosecutions are concluded promptly. Only then can justice be served and law and order restored.
You described Trump as a liar. So, can we tell him he doesn’t love Christians but hates Nigerians?
It’s not that simple. People are being killed in Nigeria, yes. In the last 15 years, over 40,000 people have been killed in the North-East and two million displaced. But most of them are Muslims, not Christians. Trump’s motive is to satisfy his evangelical base in America. He wants to frame Nigeria’s security crisis as religious persecution, which it isn’t. Genocide means a deliberate policy to exterminate a people. That’s not what’s happening here. What we face are reckless and misguided criminals. The duty of the Nigerian government is to restore control of the country’s use of force. Unfortunately, our leaders have allowed external forces to manipulate the narrative; the same people who destroyed Libya under Obama’s watch are now pretending to “save” Christians in Nigeria. Nigeria and South Africa sat on the same UN Security Council when Libya was invaded, yet we didn’t resist. When Gaddafi fell, his vast armoury spilt into West Africa, arming terrorists. We warned the government, but it didn’t heed our warning. The US now wants to portray itself as the protector of Nigerian Christians while seeking geopolitical advantage over China in Africa. We must not allow any foreign power to divide us along religious lines.
There are rumours of a coup and reports of military arrests. Is the government under attack?
Many conspiracy theories are flying around. As a lawyer, I stick to verifiable facts. The government is earning more from oil sales, particularly after the removal of subsidies and an increase in production. But citizens remain impoverished. When a coup occurs, it exploits widespread anger, and that’s why the government must act swiftly. Although the Defence Headquarters initially denied any coup plot, arrests were later made. The government must be honest with Nigerians. Transparency will help mobilise citizens to resist anti-democratic forces. At least Trump’s statement has drawn global attention to Nigeria’s insecurity. But instead of reacting defensively, our government should use this as an opportunity to fix the system and regain control of national security.
Do you agree that Nigeria lacks the capacity to confront these criminal gangs, as some suggest?
Absolutely not. Nigeria has one of the most capable armed forces in Africa. Our troops performed excellently in Sierra Leone and Liberia. So why can’t we contain ragtag militants within our own borders for over 15 years? America once invaded Iraq over imaginary weapons of mass destruction, but none were found. It attacked Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan, leaving chaos behind. Now it seeks to drag Nigeria into conflict under the pretext of defending Christians. China and the European Union have both stated that there is no evidence of Christian genocide in Nigeria. If war breaks out here, it won’t be a quick “strike and leave” operation. We must not allow ourselves to be manipulated into destruction.
Can Nigeria assert itself in the face of US pressure?
Yes, but only if our leaders fix the home front. The government must mobilise Nigerians to defend their country by addressing poverty and inequality. You cannot have a few people living like lords while the majority wallow in penury. That is what breeds anger, discontent, and instability. President Tinubu must rise above the challenges of hunger, insecurity, and mass poverty. Only then can Nigeria stand proudly before the world and silence its critics.
