Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s allegation of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, describing the claim as false and unsupported by facts.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Falana accused Trump of misleading the international community by asserting that thousands of Christians were being systematically killed in the country.
According to the senior advocate, the insecurity ravaging parts of Nigeria is driven largely by criminality, economic interests and resource-based conflicts—not religion.
“Mr. Trump has lied to the whole world by alleging Christian genocide in Nigeria without any evidence to back it up,” Falana stated. “When you look at the situation on ground, the killers—whether terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers or so-called gunmen—do not care about your religion. Many are only interested in ransom.”
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Falana cited states such as Benue and Plateau, noting that the clashes there are tied to land disputes and grazing rights, not faith-based persecution.
“Those who are killing there are either killing to expropriate land or to feed their animals,” he said.
The rights activist urged the Federal Government not to “lose sleep” over Trump’s recent threat of possible military action against Nigeria. Instead, he advised the government to undertake a critical review of its own failings in addressing insecurity.
Falana further accused Trump of using the genocide narrative as part of a wider geopolitical strategy targeting Africa’s resources and China’s growing influence on the continent.
“I know him, I know his antics, I know his hatred for Africa. This matter is about the resources of our country,” he said. “We must look at the geopolitical considerations and the errors made by our government in the past and present.”
Falana’s remarks come amid rising diplomatic tension after Trump publicly ordered preparations for potential military intervention in Nigeria.