YOLA, Adamawa State — Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Barrister Solomon Dalung, has criticized the statement reportedly made by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who allegedly threatened to place the American military on alert over the continued killings of Christian communities in Nigeria by extremist groups.
Speaking with journalists in Yola, Dalung dismissed the comment as “an unnecessary threat” and questioned America’s sincerity about Nigeria’s security situation.
He said Trump’s statement oversimplified a complex crisis and risked misrepresenting the true nature of the violence tearing through the country.
“How can America promise to handle what Nigeria itself has failed to handle?” Dalung asked. “The issue of genocide against Christians in Nigeria is a matter of individual interpretation.”
He argued that the bloodshed across Nigeria is not limited to one religion or group but affects everyone — Christians, Muslims, and even traditionalists.
“Are Christians being killed in Nigeria? Yes. Are Muslims being killed? Yes. Even traditionalists and non-believers are victims too. What we are witnessing is genocide against the poor, not against a particular faith,” he explained.
Dalung’s remarks came during an exclusive conversation with The Gazette News (Nigeria), where he elaborated on his position and offered deeper insight into the roots of Nigeria’s insecurity.
“The beginning of the problem,” he said, “is that the American government is not even honest about the situation. Where will they say Nigeria has failed to handle insecurity? Has Nigeria ever handled it? So, it is a wrong promise. The issue of genocide against Christians in Nigeria is based on individual perspectives.”
He continued,
“The question is, are Christians killed in Nigeria? Yes. Are Muslims also killed? Yes. Are non-Christians and non-Muslims killed? Yes. Our traditionalists are also killed in Nigeria. So it is genocide against the poor, not only Christians. Every day, the poor are being killed, and the statistics are alarming.”
According to him, those reducing Nigeria’s violence to a religious crisis are merely projecting their biases.
“Those who call it Christian genocide are speaking from their sentiments,” he said. “The Muslims can also come up with their own claims of genocidal killings, and the traditionalists can do the same. But as human rights activists, our interpretation is simple: it’s genocide against the poor in Nigeria.”
Dalung said the current security reality leaves the average citizen exposed, regardless of faith or background.
“The only people protected in Nigeria today are President Tinubu, his wife, and his government officials,” he remarked. “Every poor man in Nigeria is not sure of his life — whether he’s Muslim, Christian, or traditionalist. When terrorists fire bullets, the bullets do not ask if you are a Christian or a Muslim.”
In his analysis, the killings across regions also show varying religious demographics but one consistent fact: the poor suffer the most.
“If you take Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Southern Kaduna, you may find more Christian casualties,” he said. “But if you look at Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Sokoto, you’ll find more Muslim victims. The truth is, death doesn’t discriminate by religion. Terrorists kill whoever they meet.”
Dalung called on Nigerians to avoid falling into the trap of divisive narratives that could deepen national disunity.
“We must form a consensus about what is really happening,” he urged. “The government has failed to protect Nigerians. That’s the truth. So if Trump says he’s coming to fight those killing Nigerians, then let him know those people are terrorists. But if he’s coming with a political agenda, that will only worsen our crisis.”
He cautioned Nigerians to be wary of foreign intervention, especially from the United States, citing the aftermath of American military involvement in other countries.
“Can you name any country that America went into and left in peace?” he asked rhetorically. “Look at Afghanistan — is it at peace today? Look at Iraq — did they find peace after American intervention? No. So, inviting America into Nigeria’s internal security issue will only make things worse.”
The former minister’s voice carried a mix of frustration and realism — the tone of someone who has seen Nigeria’s challenges from both inside government and the streets.
He emphasized that blaming religion for the violence misses the point and distracts from the real issue: governance failure.
“When a poor farmer is attacked in the village, it doesn’t matter if he attends church or mosque,” he said. “What matters is that the system has failed to protect him. That’s why we must stop seeing insecurity through the lens of religion and start holding leaders accountable.”
Dalung also questioned the logic of Trump’s alleged promise to deploy the U.S. military, describing it as more of a publicity move than a genuine plan.
“America has its own problems,” he said. “They can’t claim to fix what even Nigerians have failed to confront boldly. Security is about sincerity and commitment, not threats from afar.”
In the heart of Yola, where Dalung spoke, residents who overheard parts of his conversation with The Gazette News (Nigeria) nodded in agreement.
Some murmured their frustrations about the daily news of killings, kidnappings, and displacement that have become normal headlines in Nigeria’s northeast.
One local trader, who gave her name as Hauwa, said Dalung’s words reflected the mood of ordinary Nigerians.
“We don’t care if it’s Christian or Muslim people dying,” she said. “We just want peace and protection. We are tired of fear.”
Dalung ended the interview with a direct message to Nigerians and the international community:
“Our unity as a people is our strength. When we allow others to define our pain in religious terms, we lose focus. What we need is a government that values every life equally — not a savior from abroad.”
His statement has continued to stir reactions online and offline, with many Nigerians echoing his call for homegrown solutions to insecurity. For Dalung, the path forward is simple but urgent:
“Until our leaders start protecting the people — not their political seats — Nigeria will continue to bleed.”
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