US president Donald Trump has once again criticized Nigeria’s Federal Government for purported atrocities on Christians.
He threatened to cut off financial aid to Nigeria, claiming that the government has been ineffectual in dealing with the ongoing deaths in the country.
Trump made the comments during an audio message broadcast on Fox News Radio’s The Brian Kilmeade Show on Friday.
In the recording, the US president blamed Nigerian authorities for failing to control the violence.
“I think Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace. They are killing people by the thousands. It is a genocide, and I am really angry about it,” Trump said.
He further suggested that US financial assistance to Nigeria could be discontinued if the purported violence continued unabated.
According to him, the situation was widely disregarded until he sounded the alarm.
“And we pay, you know, we give a lot of subsidy to Nigeria. We are going to end up stopping. The government has done nothing. They are very ineffective. They are killing Christians at will. You know, until I got involved in it two weeks ago, nobody even talked about it,” he added.
Trump had earlier labeled Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern due to reported Christian killings, declaring that Christianity was “facing an existential threat” in the country.
He warned that if the Nigerian government did not stop the deaths, the American response would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”
His words raised tensions in Nigeria, causing the government to dispatch a mission to the United States for consultations.
Pete Hegseth, US Defense Secretary, met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who led the team, at the Pentagon on Thursday.
According to the Pentagon, Hegseth encouraged Nigeria to take urgent action in response to the escalating violence against Christians.
Furthermore, US Congressman Riley Moore met with the Nigerian delegation in Washington, DC on Wednesday night, noting that the discussions centered on counterterrorism cooperation and the protection of vulnerable areas. He characterized the discussions as “frank, honest, and productive.”
The Nigerian delegation included several senior government and security officials: Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun; Attorney General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede; and Chief of Defence Intelligence Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Undiendeye, among others.
