Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has urged the United States to avoid framing Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious conflict, stressing that the country’s crisis—especially in the South-East—is far more complex than a Christian-versus-Muslim narrative.
Soludo made this known during a live media chat aired on ARISE News and other national television stations on Sunday, where he addressed recent comments attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump concerning the alleged killing of Christians in Nigeria.
The governor cautioned against what he described as an “oversimplified” view of the nation’s insecurity, clarifying that the violence in parts of the South-East is largely driven by internal political, social, and criminal factors—not religion.
“People are killing themselves—Christians killing Christians. The people in the bushes are Emmanuel, Peter, John, all Christian names—and they have maimed and killed thousands of our youths. It has nothing to do with religion,” Soludo said.
He emphasised that while the U.S. has a right to express its opinions on global matters, any form of intervention in Nigeria’s internal affairs must be done with respect for international law and sovereignty.
“America has the right to have its views about what goes on elsewhere. But whatever it does must remain within the realm of international law. If for any reason the U.S. must step in, it should be at the invitation of the Nigerian government,” he added.
Reacting to Trump’s recent threat to deploy the U.S. military to Nigeria in response to alleged religious persecution, Soludo dismissed the notion of an “invasion” as both unnecessary and misplaced. He drew parallels with America’s own racial challenges, recalling the Black Lives Matter protests.
“You had policemen killing some blacks in America. Should African countries then threaten to invade the U.S. because blacks were being killed? That’s how I see it,” he remarked.
The Anambra governor called for what he described as a “deeper and more honest conversation” between Nigeria and its international partners. He expressed confidence that the Nigerian government would respond firmly and factually to set the record straight.
“Nigeria is such a big country. The government is doing a lot to safeguard the nation. What is needed now is a deeper conversation, not external threats,” he said.
Soludo, who is seeking re-election next Saturday, reiterated that the South-East is predominantly Christian—about 95 percent of its population—and that most violent acts in the region are carried out by people of the same faith.
“In this part of the country, we are about 95 percent Christian. The people behind these killings are also Christians. It’s much wider than the categorisation of Christians versus Muslims,” he explained.
He concluded by stating that Nigeria could, if necessary, request international support in the form of military technology, intelligence, or logistics—but only within the framework of Nigeria’s sovereignty and mutual respect.
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