President Donald Trump’s recent U-turn acknowledging that Muslims are also being killed in Nigeria while still insisting the crisis is “mostly Christians” reflects a troubling attachment to a misleading narrative. While admitting Muslim casualties is a step toward honesty, continuing to frame Nigeria’s tragedy as a “Christian genocide” remains both inaccurate and dangerous.
As argued in my earlier article, Misguided Bombs and Dangerous Narratives, Nigeria’s insecurity is complex, multi-layered, and fundamentally criminal in nature not a religious war. Terrorists and bandits kill indiscriminately. Muslims and Christians are victims alike. Imposing a sectarian label on these atrocities distorts reality and risks inflaming religious tensions in an already fragile, plural society.
Mr. Trump should be advised to abandon religious colouration altogether. What Nigeria faces is a human genocide: the mass killing of innocent people by violent non-state actors driven by criminality, ideology, and the collapse of local security structures not by faith. Weaponising religion to explain or respond to this crisis invites misinformation, legitimises reckless external interventions, and undermines genuine counterterrorism efforts.
Nigeria does not need slogans; it needs solidarity grounded in facts. Precision in language is not a luxury it is a safeguard. Accuracy saves lives. False labels put them in danger.
