By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Help Strengthen Nigeria’s Security, Not Threaten Its Sovereignty — Kwankwaso to US
Former Kano State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has appealed to the United States to support Nigeria’s fight against insecurity with advanced technology instead of issuing threats that could strain diplomatic ties.
Kwankwaso’s statement came in response to recent remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who alleged that Christians were facing genocide in Nigeria and warned that Washington could take military action if the killings continued.
In a fiery post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that “radical Islamists” were behind the alleged attacks on Christians, threatening to withdraw U.S. aid and “go in guns blazing” if the Nigerian government failed to stop the violence.
Reacting through his X handle on Sunday, Kwankwaso cautioned against such rhetoric, urging the U.S. to approach Nigeria’s security challenges with partnership and respect.
“The United States should assist the Nigerian authorities with better cutting-edge technology to tackle these problems, rather than posing a threat that could further polarise our country,” he wrote.
Kwankwaso, a former Defence Minister, explained that Nigeria’s insecurity cuts across religion, ethnicity, and politics, stressing that violent groups target all citizens without discrimination.
He advised the Nigerian government to respond diplomatically by engaging Washington through appointed envoys and permanent ambassadors to represent the nation’s interests abroad.
“It is important to emphasise that our country is a sovereign nation whose people face different threats from outlaws across the country. The insecurity we face does not distinguish based on religious, ethnic, or political beliefs,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has dismissed Trump’s “Christian genocide” claim, describing it as an inaccurate portrayal of Nigeria’s religious climate.
In a statement, Tinubu reaffirmed his commitment to religious freedom and tolerance, saying, “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality. Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.”
The exchange comes amid renewed global attention on Nigeria’s internal security challenges, ranging from terrorism and banditry to communal violence, issues that continue to test the government’s capacity to protect its citizens while maintaining international credibility.
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