Nigerian senator Orji Uzor Kalu has voiced support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments on religious killings in Nigeria, describing the American leader’s remarks as “the truth,” while urging that violence against both Christians and Muslims be condemned equally.
Trump, on Oct. 31, designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” and accused its government of ignoring attacks on Christians. He later directed the U.S. Department of Defense to prepare for “possible action” against Islamic extremists in Nigeria.
Kalu, who represents Abia North in the Senate, told reporters that Trump’s comments reflected the reality of insecurity in Nigeria.
“If it’s a lie, then the answer is that it’s not a lie because he said the truth. Nigerians are being killed whether they are Christians or Muslims,” Kalu said. “There are jihadists who just want to destroy Nigeria. We should blacklist them without pity so that they will be smoked out.”
The former Abia State governor said he had previously discussed Nigeria’s worsening security situation with two former U.S. presidents — one Republican and one Democrat — as well as six sitting U.S. senators who, he said, expressed willingness to assist Nigeria in its counterterrorism efforts.
“Before President Trump says a word, the American intelligence community must have found out where these terrorists are located,” Kalu added. “You can see that the Nigerian Air Force is already acting, possibly using information shared by the U.S. to bomb terrorist hideouts. That’s how it should be.”
Kalu, who described himself as “pro-America,” linked the current wave of global insecurity to the U.S.-led removal of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi and Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, arguing that both events triggered the spread of weapons across Africa.
“When you killed Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, it became a problem because those people were maintaining their borders,” he said. “After their deaths, light and heavy arms spilled all over the world and we are suffering from it today.”
He dismissed claims that Washington’s recent warnings were politically motivated or targeted at President Bola Tinubu’s government.
“Nigerians are clapping and political opponents are thinking that the U.S. is after Tinubu’s government. No! They are going after the jihadists,” Kalu said.
