Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of Anambra State has described Nigeria’s security challenges as deeply complex, warning against oversimplifying them as a mere religious conflict. His remarks followed former U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial threat of military intervention in Nigeria over alleged persecution and killings of Christians.
Speaking during a media chat on Sunday, November 2, Soludo criticized Trump’s statement, calling it a distortion of Nigeria’s internal realities. He emphasized that the nation’s security issues stem from a blend of economic, political, and ethnic factors, not simply a clash between Muslims and Christians.
“The security challenges in Nigeria go beyond a conflict between Muslims and Christians. Trump’s threat to ‘protect Christians in Nigeria’ distorts the actual issues on the ground,” Soludo said. He urged the Nigerian government to adopt a diplomatic and constructive response, focusing on partnership and dialogue instead of confrontation.
He further explained that if Nigeria ever needed assistance from foreign powers, it should come through formal collaboration — such as requests for military equipment or intelligence support — not through threats or external aggression.
Using an example to stress his point, Soludo compared Trump’s statement to an absurd scenario where African nations might threaten to invade the United States over police killings or racial discrimination: “I remember the #BlackLivesMatter protests, and somebody would say maybe Africa should go and invade America because blacks are being killed? I’m not quite sure.”
The governor called for unity, mutual respect, and an honest national dialogue as the foundation for sustainable peace. He noted that Nigeria’s size and diversity require nuanced solutions driven by cooperation, not hostility. “It must end in conversation,” he said, adding that the Nigerian government is actively working to safeguard the nation.
Soludo also reminded the United States that while it has the right to comment on global affairs, its actions must align with international law and respect national sovereignty. “America has its own rights to have its views about what is going on elsewhere. But when it comes to what it does, it must act within the realm of international law,” he cautioned.
Trump’s post on Truth Social, which warned he would “go into Nigeria guns-a-blazing” if killings of Christians persisted, has sparked global outrage. Nigerian officials and international observers have since condemned the statement as reckless and inflammatory, urging restraint and diplomacy over provocation.
