Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, has called on the federal government to engage seasoned diplomats to defend Nigeria’s image following President Donald Trump’s designation as a “country of particular concern.”
Trump had, in a post shared on his Truth Social account and the White House’s X handle, on Friday, claimed that Christians were being massacred in Nigeria, describing the situation as a genocide.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
“I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern.’ But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done.”
Under US law, a country is designated as a “country of particular concern” when it is deemed to violate international human rights or engage in actions contrary to US interests.
Such nations may face sanctions, restricted military aid, or trade limitations, while senior officials could be denied visas.
In a statement on Saturday, Ndume said diplomats should be engaged to help defend Nigeria’s image on the global stage.
“Before things get out of hand, Nigeria should engage seasoned diplomats like Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Babagana Kingibe, Professor Sulu Gambari, and Amina Mohammed in the United Nations,” he said.
“They should also engage the American embassy in Nigeria because they have the facts.
“We can change the narrative by ensuring that we aren’t tagged ‘country of particular concern,’ but ‘country of special concern,’ so that they can give us all the support, including arms and ammunition, to effectively contain terrorists.
“The good thing about America is that if they know the truth, they will stick to it.”
Ndume faulted the President Bola Tinubu administration and the senate for treating earlier warnings by US lawmaker Riley Moore with complacency.
He urged the federal government to take immediate steps to engage Washington and present accurate data showing that terrorist attacks in Nigeria affect both Muslims and Christians.
“I have alerted the government; I even moved a motion. Nigeria is a sovereign state,” Ndume said.
“It isn’t about what the United States can do to us, but about the misconception and ripple effects of classifying us as a country of concern.
“We should engage the American government by presenting facts and figures.
“By engaging the US government, we should demand that they hear the other side of the story from the Nigerian government and the Muslim community. Muslims have been killed too. The genocide isn’t against Christians but Nigerians generally.”
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