Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has strongly dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent allegations that the Nigerian government is committing “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 comments as “ignorant” and “misinformed,” emphasising that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of Nigeria’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.
“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, ” he said.
Ndume explained that violence in Nigeria is largely indiscriminate, with the identity of victims determined by the location and nature of the attacks.
“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,” he said.
The lawmaker also cited the Nyanya motor park bombing, in which over 400 people lost their lives, noting that victims were drawn from all religious backgrounds.
Ndume faulted Trump for misunderstanding the complex realities of Nigeria’s security crisis, arguing that his statements reflect “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.
”Donald Trump himself does not really know what is happening in Nigeria and that is where the problem lies,” the senator said.
The lawmaker recounted his past efforts in the Senate to address misconceptions abroad, including a motion titled “An Urgent Need to Correct a Misconception” following reports that the U.S. Congress considered reclassifying Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for alleged religious persecution.
He criticised the government’s response at the time, saying Nigerian officials had to actively defend the country even in international courts like the ICC.
“This government has been indifferent. When I brought the motion, it was stood down.
”Look at what is happening now. 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 said.
He accused elements within the current administration of sidelining experienced diplomats such as Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Bolaji Akinyemi, Emeka Anyaoku, and Amina Mohammed, who could help explain Nigeria’s position globally.
Ndume warned that inaction could worsen Nigeria’s image abroad, urging President Bola Tinubu to engage both international partners and local leaders to counter what he described as “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. When the Americans say they want to attack, are they going to ask Christians to step aside? It will affect everyone,” he said.
Drawing on personal experience, Ndume detailed the human toll of the Boko Haram insurgency in his constituency, emphasising that both Muslim and Christian communities have suffered.
“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 recounted.
The senator also highlighted his own family background to stress that the violence is not religiously motivated.
“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,” Ndume said.
He however warned about the diplomatic and security consequences of mischaracterising Nigeria’s crisis.
“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 said.
