A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adamu Garba, has supported U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that there is an ongoing genocide in Nigeria.
Garba, in a video interview with Trust TV shared on Facebook on Wednesday, reacted to the United States’ recent designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” stating that, given the number of lives lost in violent attacks across the country, the situation fits the definition of genocide.
He recalled that in 2014, when the APC was still in opposition, some of its members visited the White House to seek assistance over what they described as the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria.
He said:
“In fact, in 2014, the Nigerian opposition party, then the APC, was in the White House seeking help over the same Christian genocide as a fallout of the Chibok girls. This is established.”
Garba added:
“Even recently, we acquired $346 million worth of weaponry from the U.S. and sent our military personnel for training as part of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the U.S. The U.S. has consistently supported countries in the fight against terrorism. Under the United Nations Convention on Counterterrorism, the U.S. is empowered to act as a global focal point in combating terrorism. Whenever terrorism is defined in a given area, the U.S. has the right—called the Responsibility to Protect (R2P)—to intervene.”
He stressed that Nigeria should demonstrate a willingness to partner with the U.S. in eradicating terrorism rather than dismissing the country’s offer of assistance:
“We should show commitment and willingness to eliminate the threat of terrorism, not completely condemn a hand coming to help. We can negotiate with them responsibly.”
Garba urged the Nigerian government to engage the U.S. diplomatically, negotiate responsibly, and acknowledge the scale of killings rather than dismiss concerns outright:
“We can tell them to provide weapons responsibly, and we can discuss with them. We can also acknowledge that this genocide is taking place not only Christians, but Muslims are also affected.”
He noted that innocent citizens continue to be killed in their homes and communities without protection:
“When I look at the total number of people killed over time in Nigeria, defenseless in villages while sleeping in their homes, what can you call this? I think it is pure genocide. Several villages in Kasina, Sokoto, and Zamfara have been destroyed. Every day, attacks continue.”
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