Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria and his threat of military action, describing them as a national embarrassment caused by the government’s failure to tackle insecurity.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television Wednesday, Falana said the Federal Government’s inability to curb violent crimes such as kidnapping for ransom has emboldened foreign leaders to make demeaning comments about Nigeria.
“Why have we brought this embarrassment to ourselves as a people that we are being treated as a neocolony of the United States of America?” he asked. “We cannot even challenge Mr. Trump how dare you? Where is this hypocrisy coming from?”
Trump had last week declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), alleging a “mass slaughter of Christians,” and warned that the U.S. military could intervene if Nigerian authorities failed to act.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
His statement drew widespread outrage both locally and internationally, prompting a formal rebuttal from the Nigerian government.
Falana, however, urged the authorities to treat the development as a wake-up call to strengthen national security and rebuild global confidence in Nigeria’s governance.
“For us as a people and for the government of Nigeria, we must now take Mr. Trump’s warning as a wake-up call,” he said. “I can see evidence that the government is now giving information to the public and the international community on efforts being made to wage a counter-insurgency operation. We are now being told how many people are being taken to court.”
