The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory, Reverend Joseph Hayab, has clarified that United States President Donald Trump did not threaten to invade Nigeria over the killings of Christians, as widely claimed.
Speaking on The Morning Show on Arise Television on Wednesday, November 12, Hayab said Trump’s comments had been twisted by some commentators.
He explained that the U.S. leader merely urged the Nigerian government to take decisive action against terrorists responsible for attacks on Christians.
“Listening to what Trump said, Trump never said he was going to come to fight Nigeria. There’s a twisting of all these things.
Trump simply said, ‘Go after these terrorists; if you don’t go after them, we can come and go after them.’ So, who is afraid of Trump coming to Nigeria?” Hayab said.
The cleric maintained that recognising the reality of these attacks is vital for national healing. He urged the government to stop dismissing victims’ suffering and instead confront the problem with honesty and empathy.
“You can’t tell someone who is a victim, who is in pain, that his cries are not true. Once we stop doing that, then we’ll find a solution. Let’s admit that people came and killed Christians, and they came in the name of religion,” he said.
“They came as Islamic fundamentalists. No Christian is saying Muslims had a meeting and asked people to go and kill them, but Christians are saying that fundamentalists, terrorists came in the name of Islam and killed Christians. When we acknowledge that fact, then we’ve started a journey of healing,” he added.
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Hayab stressed that dialogue and understanding between religious communities were key to restoring trust among Nigerians.
“When we begin to talk to one another and understand the feelings and pain that people are going through, people will trust any conversation we bring to the table,” he said.
Trump had, in late October, designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations, citing what he described as the “mass slaughter” of Christians by radical Islamist groups, including Boko Haram.
A day after the designation, Trump posted on social media, instructing the U.S. Department of War to prepare for “fast, vicious” military action and warning that the U.S. could cut aid or intervene militarily if Nigeria failed to act.
President Bola Tinubu, however, dismissed Trump’s claims as misleading, stating that the violence in the north-central region was driven by a complex mix of herder-farmer clashes, banditry, and extremism affecting both Muslims and Christians.
Tinubu nonetheless welcomed counter-terrorism collaboration that respects Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Responding to claims that Trump’s comments reflect an American agenda, Hayab argued that Nigerian leaders should focus more on addressing victims’ pain than criticising foreign concern.
“Before you tell me about Trump’s agenda, have you shown concern when I was burying people in large numbers? If you fail to act and Trump says he’s coming, let him come — at least it will show you’re not the only one watching,” Hayab added.