Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has described Nigeria’s security challenges as far more intricate than a simple Christian versus Muslim conflict.
During a media chat on Sunday, Soludo said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning to “protect Christians in Nigeria” oversimplifies the nation’s multifaceted security issues.
He stressed that while the United States has the right to express opinions on global matters, any intervention must respect international law and Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“As a country, America has its own rights to have its own views about what is going on elsewhere,” he said.
“But when it comes to what it does, I am sure it must also act within the realm of international law.”
The governor called on the Nigerian government to engage in a “deeper conversation” to address the concerns raised, noting the importance of presenting facts accurately.
Soludo clarified that most killings in the South-East are driven by internal conflicts rather than religion.
“People are killing themselves Christians killing Christians,” he said.
“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.”
He further stated that any foreign assistance should be sought through formal requests for military support, technology, or equipment, not through external threats.
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Rejecting the notion of foreign intervention, Soludo highlighted the absurdity of such logic by referencing racial violence in the United States.
“You had policemen killing some blacks… I remember the #BlackLivesMatter protest, and somebody would say maybe Africa should go and invade America because blacks are being killed? I’m not quite sure,” he said.
He emphasised that national dialogue is the best path forward.
“I think there is a need for deeper conversation,” Soludo said.
“It must end in conversation, and I am sure the government of Nigeria will respond very robustly. Nigeria is such a big country, and the government is doing a whole lot to safeguard it.”
As he campaigns for re-election next Saturday, Soludo highlighted the predominantly Christian composition of the South-East and cautioned against misrepresenting the region’s security situation.
“In this part of the country, we are 95 percent Christian,” he said.
“The people in the bushes killing others bear Christian names; it is wider than the categorisation of Christians and Muslims. Nigeria will overcome, and it will end in conversation.”
