Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has dismissed former US President DonaldTrump’s recent comments alleging that the Nigerian government is engaged in “severe violations of religious freedom” and that Christianity faces an existential threat in the country.
In an interview with ARISE News on Monday, Ndume described Trump’s statements as “ignorant” and “misinformed,” insisting that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of the country’s prolonged insurgency.
“Everybody has come out to deny that claim. That is not to say that Christians are not being killed — but Muslims are also being killed,” Ndume said. “Nobody can deny that there have been killings for over 16 years since the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009. But to say exclusively that Christians are being targeted depends on where the attack happens.”
The Borno senator explained that attacks in Nigeria have been largely indiscriminate, with victims drawn from both faiths depending on the region and nature of the violence.
“If an event happens in a Christian-dominated area, naturally the victims are Christians, as it is now in Benue and Plateau. If it happens in a Muslim area, the victims will be Muslims. When a church is attacked, Christians are the victims. When a mosque is attacked, Muslims are the victims.
“The bombing at the Nyanya motor park, where over 400 people were killed, had victims from all religions. The violence in Nigeria is indiscriminate, that is what is happening,” he said.
Ndume faulted Trump for failing to understand the complex realities of Nigeria’s security crisis, saying his comments reflected “a typical American ignorance” of global affairs.
“Trump’s declaration is out of ignorance. I’ve been to America; an average American is innocently ignorant. You’ll find someone who grows up and dies in Ohio without ever going to Chicago,” he said. “Donald Trump himself does not really know what is happening in Nigeria and that is where the problem lies.”
He recalled moving a motion in the Senate titled “An Urgent Need to Correct a Misconception,” following reports that the U.S. Congress wanted Nigeria reclassified as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) — a designation for nations accused of religious persecution.
“When I raised this motion, the government treated it with levity. Yet, this issue started in the American Congress. When former President Buhari visited Trump, Trump looked him in the face and said, ‘You are there, and they are killing people. What the hell is going on?’ Buhari had to explain and defend Nigeria. Nigerian officials even went to the ICC to counter those allegations,” Ndume recounted.
The lawmaker criticised the Tinubu administration for what he described as a lack of diplomatic engagement, warning that inaction could worsen the country’s image abroad.
“This government has been indifferent. When I brought the motion, it was stood down. Look at what is happening now,” he said. “We don’t even have ambassadors anywhere. We don’t have representation at the United Nations. That is not how to manage a crisis.”
Ndume accused elements within the current government of isolating experienced statesmen and diplomats who could have helped Nigeria explain its position to the international community.
“We have credible diplomats like Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Bolaji Akinyemi, Emeka Anyaoku, and Amina Mohammed — people who can reach anyone globally. The President should call them together, brief them, and send them out to engage. But instead, the system is clogged by bureaucrats and opportunists.
“If you write to see the President, they treat it like you’re applying to go to heaven. They’ll even ask you how much. This government is dominated by kleptocrats,” Ndume alleged.
He urged President Tinubu to act decisively by engaging both international partners and local leaders to counter what he called “a dangerous misconception.”
“If America acts on this false narrative, it will affect all Nigerians — Christians and Muslims alike. The terrorists and bandits will only be empowered,” he warned. “When the Americans say they want to attack, are they going to ask Christians to step aside? It will affect everyone.”
Ndume also shared deeply personal accounts of Boko Haram’s atrocities in his home constituency, describing the insurgency’s toll on both Muslims and Christians.
“In my own village, Boko Haram killed an imam on his way home. Seventy-five elderly Quranic teachers were slaughtered one after the other — only one survived because he fainted and they thought he was dead.
“In another incident, a respected Sheikh and twenty of his students were lined up and slaughtered. All of them were Muslims. So when people say only Christians are being killed, they are wrong,” he said.
The senator, whose family includes both Christians and Muslims, stressed that the crisis should not be viewed through a religious lens.
“My own mother is a Christian, and my half-brothers and sisters — Diana and David — are Christians. My stepfather, who raised me, took me to the mosque every Friday and went to church every Sunday. The killings in Nigeria have nothing to do with religion. They are a result of poverty, injustice, and failed governance,” he said.
Ndume concluded with a warning that mischaracterising Nigeria’s insecurity as religious persecution could have far-reaching diplomatic and security consequences.
“The problem before us is real. If America comes in with this wrong conception, it will affect everyone and give more advantage to terrorists. Instead of being labelled as a ‘Country of Particular Concern,’ Nigeria should be supported as a ‘Country of Special Concern,’ deserving of help to end this violence,” he stated.
Boluwatife Enome
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