Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed United States President Donald Trump’s allegation of religious persecution in Nigeria, saying the claim is rooted in a “15-year-old, outdated report” that does not represent the country’s security realities.
Trump had recently redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” accusing the government of ignoring attacks on Christians and failing to protect religious minorities.
But speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Akpabio said the National Assembly had not formally debated the issue because it is a sensitive foreign policy matter requiring alignment with the executive arm of government.
“We have not discussed the issue of President Trump yet in chambers. We shall do so with the executive because it is a matter of diplomatic relations,” he said. “I have refrained from taking any motion on that until we know the position of government.”
Akpabio insisted Trump’s classification stemmed from a 2010 US congressional fact-finding mission that visited only parts of Plateau and Benue states and ignored other hotspots such as Zamfara and Kaduna.
“That report is not reflective of current realities,” he said. “Nigeria’s security challenge is not religious. When terrorists attack in the North-West, most victims are Muslims. When they attack in Plateau or Benue, most victims are Christians. This is about criminality, not religion.”
The Senate President warned against international narratives that deepen religious divisions, stressing that Nigerians have co-existed peacefully across faiths for decades.
“Nigeria is multi-religious and multi-ethnic. Attempts to portray us as a country where Christians and Muslims are fighting are misleading and dangerous,” he added.
“All Nigerians want peace and security to sleep with their two eyes closed.”
The upper chamber had earlier constituted a 12-member ad-hoc committee to prepare a position paper in response to growing foreign concerns over alleged state-backed persecution of Christians.
The Senate is expected to receive input from the presidency before taking a formal stand on Trump’s remarks.
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