The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), on Monday, condemned what it described as “reckless, arrogant, and deeply provocative” remarks by the U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently threatened military action against Nigeria over alleged “genocide against Christians.”
The group dismissed what it called the “false and divisive” Western portrayal of Nigeria’s violence as religiously one-sided, arguing that available data disproves such claims.
The National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, disclosed this in Abuja during a press briefing, saying Trump’s comments were ignorant, misleading, and capable of fueling sectarian tensions at a time when Nigerians are striving to overcome insecurity and division.
He noted that in 2024 alone, 9,662 people were killed in violent incidents nationwide, with 86 per cent of the deaths occurring in the northern region, 41 per cent in the North-West, 25.9 per cent in the North-East, and 19.3 per cent in the North-Central.
He said: “Trump’s outburst followed a manipulated petition engineered by Amnesty International, using the voice of its Nigeria Country Director, Isa Sunusi, cynically deployed to give credibility to a toxic Western narrative.
“This petition, dressed up as “human rights advocacy,” is part of a broader campaign to vilify Nigeria and justify foreign interference under humanitarian pretences. Let us be clear: there is no genocide against Christians in Nigeria. There is a national security crisis affecting all Nigerians, Muslims, Christians, and others alike.”
Citing verified data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), Charanchi said that between January 2020 and September 2025, more than 20,400 civilians were killed in violent attacks across Nigeria. Of the incidents where religion could be verified, 317 Christian deaths and 417 Muslim deaths were recorded, a clear indication, he said, that both communities suffer the consequences of insecurity.
He added, “Foreign Manipulation and Hidden Motives. The claim of a ‘Christian genocide’ is not a misunderstanding; it is a strategic deception. It serves geopolitical interests aimed at destabilising Nigeria and justifying future interventions.
“For decades, the United States and its allies have used ‘human rights’ as camouflage for resource control and political dominance from Iraq to Libya. They create a moral crisis, weaponised global outrage, and then move in under the guise of “liberation.” Nigeria will not be the next experiment.
“Trump’s sudden concern for ‘persecuted Christians’ is a smokescreen. His record shows indifference to African lives. What truly offends him is Nigeria’s growing diplomatic independence, our increasing ties with China, Russia, and the Global South, and our resistance to neo-colonial pressure.”
Charanchi referenced security analyst Bulama Bukarti, who warned in October 2025 that changing service chiefs without institutional reform would not solve Nigeria’s insecurity, stressing that the crisis was not a religious war but one of weak governance and institutional decay.
CNG also recalled the Zaria massacre of December 2015, where over 340 members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), mostly Shiite Muslims, were killed. The group condemned the U.S. and Western silence on the incident, despite evidence presented by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
The coalition accused Western governments of ignoring the violent activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which it said had killed over 600 Northerners since 2021 through targeted attacks, road ambushes, and the enforcement of illegal sit-at-home orders in the South-East.
CNG warned that if Nigeria fails to control its narrative and security situation, the resulting instability could engulf the entire Sahel region.
“While foreign actors romanticise IPOB as victims, they ignore the group’s atrocities against Northerners. Trump and his enablers choose silence because it doesn’t fit their pre-packaged narrative.
“The Coalition of Northern Groups will continue to stand for truth, justice, and national sovereignty. We will not remain silent while foreign powers insult our dignity, distort our reality, and play politics with our blood.
May Almighty God console all vertigo, Muslim and Christian alike, and grant our leaders the wisdom to steer this nation toward peace and justice,” he said
