Popular Chief Imam Explains Why Nigerian Gov't is to Blame for Trump's Invasion Threats
- Prof. Amidu Sanni condemns U.S. President Donald Trump’s war rhetoric against Nigeria
- The cleric blames Nigeria’s poor diplomacy and weak security system, for creating the vacuum exploited by foreign powers
- Sanni urges Christian and Muslim leaders to unite and counter false global narratives portraying Nigeria as divided along religious lines
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Prof. Amidu Sanni, former Chief Imam of Lagos State University, has described United States President Donald Trump’s recent threat of military action against Nigeria as “the misadventure of a reckless outburst.”
Speaking in Lagos during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the respected cleric said the proposed invasion could still be averted if the Nigerian government took immediate and decisive steps to address underlying issues, Vanguard reported.
Source: Twitter
He noted that Trump’s administration had announced plans to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for alleged violations of religious freedom.
Sanni questioned the motive, describing it as hypocritical given the silence of Washington over mass killings in Gaza and Sudan.
He stated that the government’s anxiety over the threat was self-inflicted, resulting from “systemic failure” in governance, diplomacy, and communication.
Root causes of Nigeria’s vulnerability
According to Sanni, years of poor international engagement, uncoordinated security management, and weak media presence had left Nigeria exposed to internal and external manipulation.
He observed that state and non-state actors had allowed security lapses to deepen, fueling banditry, kidnapping, illegal mining, and the diversion of public funds meant for defense.
Source: Facebook
He linked the nation’s persistent insecurity to the inability of successive civilian administrations since 1999 to address economic and political instability. He said these failures had not only weakened national unity but also emboldened groups that profit from violence.
The cleric noted that the violence in the country had claimed lives across religious divides since the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2000, warning that the crisis was far from being about faith.
Economic and diplomatic implications
Sanni said Trump’s sudden interest in Nigeria’s internal affairs was not altruistic but rooted in economic politics.
“Trump becoming more Catholic than the Pope, or more Anglican/Protestant than the Archbishop of Canterbury, should be rightly seen in light of the economic reforms being pushed by the Nigerian government in the oil and financial sectors,” he said.
He argued that these reforms had disrupted Western dominance over Nigeria’s economy and reduced the flow of unearned foreign exchange to elites dependent on external influence.
“Trump’s proclaimed war threat is simply economic and political,” he added, warning that some local religious leaders appeared to support the agenda without understanding its implications.
Sanni further criticised Nigeria’s weak diplomatic posture, pointing out that the country had yet to appoint ambassadors to key global capitals nearly three years into the present administration.
He faulted the government’s failure to engage effectively through international platforms such as the United Nations and the G20.
He urged faith-based bodies like the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs to present a united front in defending Nigeria’s image and promoting peace, saying both Christians and Muslims must stand together against all forms of human rights violations.
Foreign ministry reacts to Trump's claim
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigeria's Foreign ministry commented on the claim that Nigerian Christians were being killed in massive proportions.
According to the government ministry, the claim by the United States President Donald Trump did not reflect the reality on the ground.
US President Donald Trump claimed that there were widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria.
Source: Legit.ng
