Korede Abdullah 
LAGOS, Nigeria – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dismissed comments by United States President Donald Trump, who alleged that Christians are facing “genocide” in Nigeria.
Trump made the claim in a televised interview on Friday, calling on Washington to “act swiftly” to stop what he described as mass killings of Christians.
In a statement issued from the State House, Abuja, on Saturday, Tinubu described the remarks as “inaccurate and unfair,” insisting that Nigeria remains a democracy guided by constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
“Since 2023, our administration has maintained open engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges affecting citizens across faiths and regions,” the President said.
He argued that portraying Nigeria as religiously intolerant “does not reflect our national reality,” adding that religious tolerance and coexistence remain longstanding values in the country.
Tinubu further reaffirmed his commitment to cooperate with the United States and international partners to protect all communities, regardless of their religious affiliation.
However, critics online are pointing to past statements made by Tinubu.
In 2014, Tinubu had acknowledged on his X (formerly Twitter) account that Christians were being killed, accusing then-President Goodluck Jonathan of incompetence in handling insecurity.
Nigerians on social media, who resurfaced the post, have now accused Tinubu of double standards, arguing that Boko Haram attacks, banditry, and other violent killings have persisted unchallenged under his administration.
The renewed debate underscores Nigeria’s broader struggle with nationwide insecurity, which affects both Christian and Muslim communities across the North-East, North-West, and parts of the Middle Belt and South.
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Mirian Gom 
