- Sultan of Sokoto Urges Trump to Withdraw “Disgraced” Label on Nigeria
- Prof. Ishaq Oloyede expressed alarm that some “Islamophobic and unpatriotic Nigerians” had misled foreign governments
- According to NSCIA, Nigeria’s re-designation by Washington was influenced more by lobbying from foreign evangelical networks
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has called on United States President Donald Trump to withdraw his recent description of Nigeria as a “disgraced country,” warning that such language could heighten tensions and undermine national stability.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the appeal followed an Expanded General Purpose Committee (EGPC) meeting chaired by the NSCIA President-General, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Sunday at the National Mosque, Abuja.
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Briefing journalists after the meeting, NSCIA Secretary-General Prof. Ishaq Oloyede expressed alarm that some “Islamophobic and unpatriotic Nigerians” had misled foreign governments with claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria.
Oloyede stressed that insecurity in Nigeria affects citizens across religious and ethnic lines, with both Muslims and Christians falling victim to terrorism, banditry, communal clashes, and criminality driven by climate stress, governance failures, and the proliferation of arms.
“When the U.S. President labelled our country ‘disgraced,’ every right-thinking Nigerian was concerned,” Oloyede said. “An ally seeking to help a sovereign nation counter Islamic terrorists would offer assistance and collaboration not disparaging language.”
The Council warned that the U.S. designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” could serve as a pretext for destabilisation, despite other nations such as China, Saudi Arabia, and Myanmar receiving similar classifications. “We urge President Trump to retract branding Nigeria a ‘disgraced country’ and instead assist the nation with credible intelligence, logistics, and human-capacity development to tackle insecurity,” it added.
According to NSCIA, Nigeria’s re-designation by Washington was influenced more by lobbying from foreign evangelical networks, separatist groups, and local actors seeking political or material advantage than by new evidence.
The Council emphasised that amplifying false genocide narratives risks inflaming religious hostility and destabilising the country. “There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria. There is no Muslim genocide. There is no religious intolerance. Nigeria’s challenges stem from poverty, climate change, poor governance, and armed criminals who kill indiscriminately,” the Council said.
NSCIA appealed for national unity, stressing that Christians and Muslims alike have suffered from a flawed security system and ongoing insurgency. It commended figures such as Femi Falana (SAN), Femi Fani-Kayode, Reno Omokri, and Anambra State Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo for rejecting genocide claims and advocating national cohesion.
Oloyede warned that promoting false narratives of genocide “is neither patriotic nor Godly” and could drag Nigeria into conflicts similar to those that have devastated Iraq, Libya, and Syria.
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