The Yoruba Ronu Group, a socio-political organisation, said that the U.S. President Donald Trump’s narrative on Nigeria’s security stance could undermine security gains if not cautioned.
The group added that Trump’s statement could incite negative impacts if not checked, warning that such remark could cause panic instead of proffering security solution.
The group’s Chairman, Prince Diran Iyantan, in a statement on Monday in Akure, said Trump’s comments were “deliberately provocative” and aimed at destabilising Nigeria for personal geo-political and economic motives.
Iyantan described as a “reckless and deceitful” statement accusing Nigeria of “killing Christians” and for Trump’s threat on intention to invade the country.
The chairman said that the Federal Government had continued to confront Boko Haram and other extremist groups “with determination and sacrifice.”
“What Nigeria needs from the world is partnership, support, dialogue, and understanding not intimidation, falsehood or neo-colonial aggression disguised as moral outrage.
“There is no state-sponsored killing of Christians in Nigeria. Victims of terrorism cut across all faiths and are targeted by the same extremist insurgents,” Iyantan said.
He accused Trump of twisting Nigeria’s security challenges into a false narrative of religious persecution.
The group’s chairman questioned Trump’s selective concern for Christians in Nigeria but being silent on the concern of Christians in other conflict zones.
“If Trump is genuinely concerned about Christians, where is his outcry for those suffering in Syria, Ukraine, or the Congo?
“His selective empathy exposes the hollowness of this so-called concern; it is not about faith, but about politics and self-interest,” he said.
According to him, Trump’s remarks are a smokescreen for a broader agenda intended to undermine Nigeria’s image internationally.
He noted that the intended smear could tarnish the country’s image as the nation continued economic recovery under President Bola Tinubu’s reform-driven administration.
Iyantan added that Nigeria remained a secular nation founded on religious harmony and mutual respect since independence.
He urged Nigerians to remain united in the face of external provocation, stressing that “no foreign power should dictate our destiny.”
