NIGERIAN APC CHIEFTAIN BACKS TRUMP’S GENOCIDE CLAIM, URGES GOVERNMENT TO ACCEPT US HELP

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Adamu Garba, has backed U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that there is an ongoing genocide in Nigeria. Garba, in a video interview, stated that judging by the number of lives lost in violent attacks across the country, the situation fits the description of genocide.

He recalled that in 2014, when the All Progressives Congress was still in opposition, some of its members visited the White House to seek assistance over what they described then as the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria. “In fact, in 2014, Nigerian opposition party, then the APC, were in the White House seeking for the same help on the same Christian genocide as a fallout of the Chibok girls. This is established,” Garba said.

He highlighted recent military cooperation, noting, “we acquired $346 million worth of weaponry from the US and we are trying to send our military personnel to go and train as a factor of diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and the US.” Garba explained that the United Nations Convention on Counterterrorism empowers the United States as a global focal point in fighting terrorism, including the ‘responsibility to protect’ or R2P principle.

Garba urged the Nigerian government to demonstrate willingness to partner with the U.S. in eradicating terrorism rather than dismissing the offer of assistance. “So what we should show in our own case in Nigeria is that we should show commitment and willingness to partner to eliminate the threat of terrorism, not completely condemn a hand that is coming to help us and then put a motion forward. We can negotiate with them,” he said.

He advised the government to engage the U.S. diplomatically, negotiate responsibly, and acknowledge the scale of killings. “We can tell them, give us the weapons responsibly. We can discuss with them and acknowledge that this genocide is taking place. Yes, they say Christian genocide. Now, we can justify to them that look, it’s not only genocide, it’s not only Christians, Muslims also are affected,” he added.

Garba emphasized that innocent citizens continue to be killed without protection, noting that both Christians and Muslims have been victims. “When I look at the damages, when you look at the total number of the people that have been killed over time in Nigeria and they are killed defenceless in villages, sleeping in their homes, then what can you call this for God’s sake? I think it’s actually pure genocide because you just come and kill people just like that. And this thing has been happening. Several villages in Kasina, destroyed. Several villages in Sokoto, gone. Several villages in Zamfara, every day,” he said.