An activist and social commentator, Bello Galadanci, popularly known as Dan Bello, has criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to return Nigeria to the list of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged persecution of Christians.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) titled “The CPC Hustle: How a Fake Genocide Became Capitol Hill’s Favorite ATM,” Bello dismissed the claim of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria as false and driven by financial interests.
According to him, the narrative has been turned into a money-making venture by certain foreign lobbyists and NGOs who, he said, exaggerate Nigeria’s security problems to attract donations and grants.
“The pitch is simple: scream ‘genocide,’ wave a blurry video of bandits on motorbikes, and watch the dollars rain down,” he wrote.
Bello noted that while insecurity in the northern part of Nigeria is real, it affects everyone regardless of religion.
“Bandits kill farmers, farmers fight back. Muslims die. Christians die. Traditionalists die. The only pattern is poverty, not prophecy,” he said.
He recalled that the same designation was placed on Nigeria by the Trump administration in 2020 but was later lifted by President Joe Biden after reports found no evidence of religious persecution.
Bello alleged that some groups continue to circulate false and unverifiable stories to secure funding, adding that the campaign for religious freedom has become a “profit-making scheme.”
“The real religion isn’t Christianity or Islam—it’s capitalism,” he said, describing the situation as a “hustle” that enriches foreign middlemen rather than helping victims of violence.
The Nigerian government has also dismissed Trump’s latest decision, maintaining that the killings in parts of the country are the result of banditry and terrorism, not religious persecution.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently said that security forces have neutralized thousands of terrorists and are working to restore peace in affected areas.
In his concluding remarks, Bello wrote: “Let’s be clear: Nigeria has problems. Boko Haram is evil. Herder-farmer clashes are deadly. Corruption eats aid. But turning a national crisis into a sectarian cash cow helps no one except the middlemen with American passports and Nigerian accents.
“The irony? The loudest voices screaming ‘genocide’ have never buried a cousin in Maiduguri. They’re too busy burying the truth under donor decks. Their real religion isn’t Christianity or Islam—it’s capitalism. And their holy sacrament? The earmark.”
His post has generated widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians supporting his view that Western narratives often misrepresent the complex roots of insecurity in the country.
He ended his post saying, “Call it what it is: not genocide. Just good old-fashioned greed, dressed up in a dashiki and a cross. No faith required. Just facts.”