Sunday Okobi

The Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria yesterday expressed deep concern over the recent statements by the President of the United States of America. Donald J. Trump, who threatened possible military action in Nigeria to protect Christians against terrorists’ onslaughts, and the designation of Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern (CPC)’ under the International Religious Freedom Act.

The coalition stated that the developments represent an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty, “an insult to our democratic integrity, and a serious threat to peace, security, and stability across West Africa. “We, therefore, call upon the United States Congress to act responsibly by repudiating these reckless threats and reviewing the baseless designation that paints a distorted image of our nation.”

The group, which also petitioned the United States Congress, the US embassy in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly and other authorities in Nigeria through the Lagos State House of Assembly, during a peaceful protest at the Assembly complex, said Nigeria is a vibrant democracy governed by a constitutional framework that guarantees freedom of religion, belief, and association to all citizens.

The coalition led by the National Coordinator of Activists for Good Governance (AGG), Mr. Declan Ihekaire, and other leaders of other groups, said: “Since returning to democratic governance in 1999, we have conducted free and fair elections every four years, with peaceful transitions of power. No Nigerian leader holds office for life. Our democracy, though imperfect, continues to deepen through the will of the people.

“Religious diversity is one of Nigeria’s greatest strengths. Christians and Muslims coexist in every part of the country, while millions also practice traditional faiths. Nigeria’s federal and state institutions reflect this pluralism, and successive governments, including the current administration, have worked closely with religious and community leaders to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.”

On what the coalition tagged: ‘Misrepresentation of Religious Persecution’, he said: “The narrative that Nigeria persecutes Christians is false and misleading. Nigeria’s security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, and communal violence, affect citizens of all faiths. Extremist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP have killed far more Muslims than Christians, as their strongholds are in predominantly Muslim northern states. Likewise, bandits in the Northwest have attacked Muslim and Christian communities alike. The portrayal of Nigeria as a state-driven violator of religious freedom is, therefore, a distortion of facts.

“These are security challenges rooted in poverty, extremism, and governance gaps — not in state-sponsored religious persecution.”

 Ihekaire added: “President Trump’s statement threatening military intervention in Nigeria, allegedly to ‘protect Christians’, is both irresponsible and unlawful. It constitutes a violation of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use or threat of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

“It also contravenes the principles of the African Union Constitutive Act, which upholds sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of member states. History offers painful lessons from similar interventions in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan — nations devastated under the banner of ‘liberation’ and ‘protection’. Such actions have never delivered peace, only chaos and lasting instability.”

The national coordinator, who, however, noted that Trump’s threat has actually made the Nigerian Government sit up a bit, noted that Nigeria does not require foreign bombs or boots on its soil.

“What we need is international cooperation, intelligence support, and developmental partnerships to help our government defeat terrorism and strengthen the rule of law.”

While receiving the petition, the state House of Assembly Majority Leader, Naheem Adam, described the protest as peaceful and legal, adding that civil society is very important in a democracy, and promised to submit the petition to the Assembly leadership onward to the US embassy in Abuja, President Tinubu, and other authorities concerned.

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