Presidency: Genocide Claims Are Tactics to Push Trump into Sanctioning Nigeria

The Presidency has accused a group of American lawmakers and lobbyists of orchestrating a calculated campaign to pressure former U.S. President Donald Trump into re-designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) — a status reserved for nations accused of major violations of religious freedom.

Speaking on Arise News Prime Time on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Dr. Daniel Bwala, said the move was part of a “coordinated agenda” built on misinformation and aimed at “destabilising Nigeria using religion as a weapon.”

“There is a coordinated agenda against Nigeria. Those pushing this narrative are not from the U.S. executive branch; they are a pack-backed group of senators hoping to rile up President Trump to designate Nigeria as a CPC. Knowing Trump’s character, if he believed them, he would have done it three weeks ago,” Bwala said.

He accused the campaigners of spreading false reports to U.S. agencies, misrepresenting isolated communal clashes as government-backed religious persecution.

“Religion has always been the instrument. They are doing this to stir division, weaken Nigeria’s image, and create panic internationally,” he added.

The CPC designation, established under the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, allows Washington to impose sanctions on countries accused of “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of religious liberty.

Nigeria was first listed as a CPC in 2020 under Trump’s administration after pressure from Christian advocacy groups citing violence in the Middle Belt and attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP. The status was later revoked in 2021 by President Joe Biden, who cited improvements in the government’s response — a decision that drew criticism from U.S. senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, who have since pushed for its reinstatement.

The Nigerian government has repeatedly denied allegations of religious persecution, maintaining that insecurity in the country stems from terrorism, banditry, and criminality, not religious conflict.

Bwala described the renewed push as politically motivated, saying the government would counter disinformation with verifiable evidence rather than lobbying.

“What used to happen in Nigeria is, whenever this kind of false allegation comes, Nigerians would rush to lobby in the U.S. No — you match up the Western disinformation,” he said.

His remarks come amid renewed global scrutiny of Nigeria’s security and humanitarian crises, particularly in the North-Central region, where recent violent attacks have claimed dozens of lives — including 27 people killed in Bindi (Jebu) village, Riyom LGA, Plateau State, and over 100 others massacred in Yelwata, Benue State earlier this year.

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