A counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, has warned that latest feedback attributed to United States President Donald Trump might endanger Christians in Nigeria by emboldening terrorist teams to perform focused assaults below the guise of spiritual persecution.
Makama, in a submit on X on Sunday, mentioned Trump’s remarks, which allegedly portrayed Nigerian Christians as victims of systematic violence, could possibly be exploited by rebel and extremist teams to justify intensified assaults on Christian communities and irritate sectarian tensions.
DAILY POST recollects that Trump had on Friday designated Nigeria as a rustic of explicit concern.
The US President cited what he described as ongoing violence in opposition to Christians and failure of the federal government to defend non secular minorities.
However the Nigerian authorities denied persecution of any non secular teams in Nigeria.
Nevertheless, On Saturday, Trump threatened army motion in opposition to Nigeria if nothing is finished about it rapidly.
Reacting to the event, Makama cautioned that such statements, particularly coming from a high-profile international determine, would possibly embolden terrorists to deepen divisions amongst Nigerians alongside non secular strains and undermine years of interfaith peacebuilding and counter-extremism efforts.
In accordance to him, though Trump’s feedback may seem sympathetic, they might inadvertently expose Christians to better dangers, as terrorist parts would possibly interpret them as worldwide endorsement of a spiritual battle narrative.
Makama urged political and spiritual leaders to train restraint and warning in their public remarks about Nigeria’s safety scenario, warning that politically charged or religiously delicate rhetoric might have severe penalties.
He famous that Nigeria has lengthy battled violent extremism from teams equivalent to Boko Haram and ISWAP, which have typically used non secular narratives to justify their crimes in opposition to each Muslims and Christians.
He wrote: “Feedback credited to U.S. President Donald Trump might endanger Christians in Nigeria by emboldening terrorist teams to perform focused assaults below the guise of spiritual persecution.
“Trump’s remarks, which allegedly portrayed Nigerian Christians as victims of systematic violence, might set off rebel and extremist teams as a justification to intensify assaults on Christian communities, in order to irritate sectarian tensions in Nigeria.
“Such statements, coming from a high-profile international determine, would possibly “embolden terrorists to seize the chance to additional divide Nigerians alongside non secular strains. It additionally threat undoing years of interfaith peace constructing and counter-extremism efforts.
“Trump’s assertion, although seemingly sympathetic, might inadvertently place Christians in better hazard. Terrorist parts may take benefit and interpret it as worldwide endorsement of a spiritual narrative, prompting retaliatory or attention-seeking assaults aimed toward international visibility.
“At this level, leaders and commentators should train warning in their public statements about Nigeria’s inner safety scenario. politically charged or religiously delicate rhetoric might have extreme implications on the bottom.
“Nigeria has through the years grappled with violent extremism, together with assaults by Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents, who’ve typically exploited non secular narratives to justify their crimes in opposition to each Muslims and Christians.”
