The Tinubu Media Support Group has faulted the decision of President Donald Trump to redesignate Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’.

This was disclosed in a statement jointly signed by the group’s chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, on Saturday.

The group described the move as ill-conceived, misleading, and capable of undermining the country’s war against terrorism and insurgency.

According to the group, the decision, which marks the second time a Trump-led administration has taken such action, is based on false claims of genocide against Christians in Nigeria.

“While we await full details of the decision announced by the United States President Donald Trump and its implications, like many Nigerians, we see the move as wrong, ill-conceived, and fatally flawed,” the statement said.

The group argued that the designation was predicated on “a misleading claim of lack of religious freedom” and a “deliberate attempt to exterminate the Christian population under the watch of President Bola Tinubu”.

TMSG noted that Mr Trump’s statement that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” echoed earlier remarks by some U.S. lawmakers. The group dismissed the allegation as a “gross mischaracterisation and oversimplification” of Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

According to TMSG, the move could have far-reaching consequences, including the possible suspension of U.S. arms sales to Nigeria, one of the demands of right-wing American legislators who have been pushing the genocide narrative.

“It is a fact that the U.S. action could lead to the suspension of arms sales to Nigeria. Such a move would embolden terrorist elements and weaken ongoing counter-insurgency operations,” the group said.

TMSG also highlighted that Mr Tinubu’s recent security sector reforms had ensured that Christians occupied leading positions across the nation’s military, intelligence, and security agencies. This, it said, further disproved claims of state-sponsored religious persecution.

“It therefore amounts to standing truth on its head to peddle claims that state-sponsored Christian genocide exists in Nigeria,” the group added.

The group recalled that in 2020, Mr Trump  similarly placed Nigeria on the CPC list under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, a decision later reversed by then-President Joe Biden in 2021.

This is after the U.S. government acknowledged that Nigeria, though facing serious insecurity, was not directly engaged in religious persecution.

TMSG also accused opposition politicians of exploiting the development for political gains, noting that some were complicit in amplifying the “genocide” claims abroad.

“Like many people, we are convinced that some opposition figures in the country were part of the odious advocacy, even when they know that terrorist groups wreaking havoc in Northern Nigeria have been targeting Muslims and Christians alike,” the group said.

TMSG  urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and take note of those “who would not mind the country being brought down as long as it helps their bid for political power”.

While condemning the U.S. action, TMSG called on the Tinubu administration and Nigeria’s military and intelligence agencies not to be deterred in their mission to restore peace and stability across the country.

“We urge the military and security authorities to remain focused and undeterred in their efforts to clear the country of terrorists and insurgents,” TMSG said. 

(NAN)