All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Adamu Garba has publicly supported US President Donald Trump’s assertion that an ongoing genocide is taking place in Nigeria, judging the situation by the scale of lives lost in violent attacks across the country. Speaking in a video interview, Mr Garba reacted to the United States’ recent designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” stating that the level of killings fits the description of genocide.
Mr Garba recalled that the issue of mass killings of Christians in Nigeria was a matter the current ruling party, the APC, had raised previously. He noted that in 2014, when the APC was in opposition, some of its members visited the White House to seek assistance over what they described then as the mass killing of Christians, following the infamous Chibok girls’ kidnapping. He argued that the US has the right, under the United Nations Convention on Counterterrorism, to invoke its “Responsibility to Protect (R2P)” to intervene and eliminate terrorism in a defined area.
He urged the Nigerian government to drop its defensive stance and demonstrate a “commitment and willingness to partner” with the US in eradicating terrorism, rather than completely condemning the offer of assistance. Mr Garba stressed that Nigeria should engage diplomatically and negotiate responsibly, but also acknowledged the scale of the killings, stating: “We can discuss with them and acknowledge that this genocide is taking place. Yes, they say Christian genocide. Now, we can justify to them that look, it’s not only genocide, it’s not only Christians, Muslims also are affected.”
Mr Garba contended that the sheer scale of the violence against innocent, defenceless citizens justifies the use of the term genocide. He lamented that people are “killed defenceless in villages, sleeping in their homes,” adding: “I think it’s actually pure genocide because you just come and kill people just like that.” He pointed to the repeated destruction of several villages across Kasina, Sokoto, and Zamfara as evidence of the severity and widespread nature of the atrocities.
He further noted that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of repeated attacks, acknowledging that while the US focus is on Christians, the violence has a wider reach. He concluded that the situation, which has seen innocent citizens killed without protection in their communities, is clearly unacceptable, urging the Nigerian government to acknowledge the severity of the crisis rather than dismissing the international concerns outright
