Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of spreading false claims about an alleged “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, describing him as a leader with longstanding hostility toward Africa.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Falana said Trump’s assertion that thousands of Christians were being systematically killed in Nigeria was baseless and unsupported by evidence.
“My position is that Mr. Trump has lied to the whole world by alleging Christian genocide in Nigeria without any evidence to back it up,” Falana said.
He explained that the killings in various parts of the country are driven by criminal and economic motives rather than religious hatred.
“He said about 3,100 Christians have been killed in Nigeria. But when you compare Mr. Trump’s narrative with the reality on the ground, you find that the killers — whether terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, or gunmen — do not care about religion. What they are after is ransom or resources. So, it’s not about religion,” he stated.
Falana pointed out that in violence-ravaged states such as Benue and Plateau, the clashes are mostly linked to land ownership and grazing disputes. “Those who are killing there are either trying to seize land or secure feeding grounds for their animals,” he added.
He also advised the Federal Government not to be rattled by Trump’s recent warning of potential military action against Nigeria but to focus on fixing its internal security problems.
“Instead of losing sleep over Trump’s statement, the government has a duty to look inwards and ask, where have we made mistakes?” Falana said.
The human rights advocate further alleged that Trump’s stance on Nigeria reflects a broader geopolitical agenda aimed at exploiting Africa’s resources.
“I know him, I know his antics, I know his hatred for Africa. This whole matter is about the resources of our country. The same people pushing this narrative are also saying we must cut China to size in Africa. We have to see the geopolitical motives and our government’s own errors, past and present,” he said.
Falana’s comments came amid escalating diplomatic tension following Trump’s public directive for U.S. forces to prepare for possible military operations in Nigeria.