Amid concerns over threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to deploy troops to Nigeria following alleged Christian genocide, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accused Mr Trump of not thinking right, slamming the threat as politics taken too far.
“This is politics taken too far,” declared Mr Wike during a Channels TV interview on Monday. “Before I came in here, many people texted me, oh, please don’t speak about Trump,’ and I just laughed. I’m Nigerian, I’m a Christian, my father is a pastor, and my family are all Christians.”
The minister dismissed the allegations of Christian genocide as baseless, stating President Bola Tinubu would never condone religious persecution in the country.
“The Inspector-General of Police is a Christian, the Director-General of State Security is a Christian. Today, the Chief of Defence is a Christian; the former Chief of Defence is a Christian. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation is a Christian. Now tell me, how can any right-thinking person sit in government that will support the killing of our own people?,” he stated.
Highlighting efforts by the federal government to combat insecurity in the country, Mr Wike stated that terrorism affects all Nigerians.
The minister added, “In fact, as I speak to you, I don’t know any government that has spent more resources in taming terrorism than this government.
“Terrorists are killing Christians, terrorists are killing Muslims, terrorists are killing non-believers. Nobody would be happy over the death of anybody, whether a Christian or a Muslim. No right-thinking leader would say, ‘I’m happy that people are dying.”
Mr Wike described Mr Tinubu as tolerant of religions, accusing opposition of being responsible for the allegations.
“There are many undercurrents going on,” said the politician. “The opposition has seen that, with the way it is, no party is prepared to challenge the President’s return to power. What do we do? Should we allow him to just go in like that without challenges? We must do something.”
