Falana Accuses Trump Of Lying About Christian Genocide In Nigeria

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has accused the United States President Donald Trump, of lying to the world over claims of “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.

Speaking on Channels Televisions Politics today programme on Wednesday, Falana said Trump’s statement that about 3,100 Christians had been killed in Nigeria was false and misleading as there was no credible evidence used to support such an allegation.

“President Trump has lied to the whole world by alleging Christian genocide in Nigeria. The killers whether terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, or armed robbers do not care about anyone’s religion. What many of them care about is ransom.” Falana stated.

President Trump had last week declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), citing what he described as a “mass slaughter of Christians.”

He later threatened possible U.S. military action if Nigerian authorities failed to act.

“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!” Trump wrote on his Social Media platform.

Trump’s comments sparked widespread debate within and outside Nigeria, prompting the Federal Government to dismiss the claims.

Weighing in, Falana said while Trump’s comments were baseless, the country however brought this “embarrassment” upon themselves as a nation.

“Why have we brought this embarrassment to ourselves as a people that we are being treated as a neocolony of the United States of America?. We cannot even challenge President Trump like, how dare you? Where is this hypocrisy coming from?,” he asked?

According to Falana, this should serve as a warning for Nigeria to urgently fix its internal security problems as its insecurity challenges could only be resolved through transparency, justice, and strong leadership

“For us as a people and for the government of Nigeria, we must now take President Trump’s warning as a wake-up call.

“ I can see evidence that the government is now giving information to the public and the international community on efforts being made to wage a counter-insurgency operation.

“The Nigerian people must be mobilised to defend their own country, not through press conferences, but by addressing the real problems,” he said.

Falana argued that the violent attacks across Nigeria, especially in parts of the Middle Belt, were driven by land disputes and economic struggles, not religion.

He cited cases where herders and farmers clashed over land and grazing routes, insisting that the problem was rooted in failure of governance.

“The killers in the Middle Belt are either fighting to expropriate land or to feed their animals where open grazing still happens.

“Nigeria is the only country in the world where cattle still roam the streets. On my way to Abuja yesterday, I saw cattle grazing on the airport road and even near the National Assembly complex,” he recalled.

He faulted both the federal and state governments for failing to enforce the ban on open grazing, recalling that when former Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong chaired the Northern Governors Forum and the late Rotimi Akeredolu led the Southern Governors Forum, both regions had agreed that open grazing should be abolished nationwide.

According to Falana, the government should have long implemented the agreed solution of establishing ranches with water, grass, and schools for herders’ children instead of allowing free movement of cattle across states.

Falana also cautioned Nigerians against treating President Trump as a “saviour,” saying the United States has never acted in the genuine interest of other countries.

“If President Trump is our saviour, let us all clap for him. But the United States has never been the saviour of any country. Look at Iraq, Libya, Syria, or Afghanistan. Their interventions have never favoured the people,” he stated.

He commended China and the European Union for rejecting Trump’s genocide claim and opposing any military intervention in Nigeria, warning that a war in Nigeria “would not be like Iraq because the criminals are scattered all over the country.”

“The U.S. wanted to establish a military base here and could not. They also wanted to turn Nigeria into a dumping ground for deportees, but the government refused. Nigeria must find a way to move forward, not by depending on any foreign power,” he said.

Falana urged the government to address the growing poverty and inequality that continue to fuel anger and insecurity saying, “You can’t have a few people living like lords while the majority live in penury. That’s what creates discontent.”

He advised the authorities to improve transparency regarding reports of an alleged coup plot, urging honesty and communication with citizens.

“If you are honest with the people, they will stand with you to fight anti-democratic forces,” he said.

Furthermore, he called for a decisive action against criminal gangs and kidnappers, saying security agencies must use available technology to track ransom calls instead of allowing families to negotiate with criminals.

“When kidnappers use victims’ phones to contact relatives, security agencies can easily trace the calls. So why should families be left to raise money for ransom instead of the government rescuing victims?. Unless the government stops this, kidnapping will remain a lucrative business,” he warned.