His comments follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision on Friday to redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over what he called the persecution of Christians.
Trump later threatened to cut off all U.S. aid and possibly launch military action to “wipe out Islamic terrorists killing Christians.”
Speaking during a media chat on Sunday, Soludo said Trump’s statement misrepresents the realities on the ground and reduces a complex situation to a religious issue.
He stressed that while the U.S is free to express opinions on global matters, any action it takes must respect international law and Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“As a country, America has its own rights to have its own views about what is going on elsewhere,” he said.
“But when it comes to what it does, I am sure it must also act within the realm of international law.”
He urged the Nigerian government to open a broader discussion to address the concerns raised and present accurate facts to the international community.
According to him, the violence in parts of the South-East is not religiously motivated but rooted in local conflicts.
He said, “People are killing themselves — Christians killing Christians
“The people in the bushes are Emmanuel, Peter, John — all Christian names — and they have maimed and killed thousands of our youths. It has nothing to do with religion.”
Soludo added that any foreign support should come only through formal cooperation, not through threats or military interventions.
He criticized Trump’s comments by drawing a comparison with events in the U.S., saying it would be absurd for African countries to consider invading America over police killings of Black citizens.
‘You had policemen killing some blacks… I remember the #BlackLivesMatter protest, and somebody would say maybe Africa should go and invade America because blacks are being killed? I’m not quite sure,” he said.
The governor emphasized that dialogue remains the best way to resolve Nigeria’s challenges.
He said, “I think there is a need for deeper conversation. It must end in conversation, and I am sure the government of Nigeria will respond very robustly. Nigeria is such a big country, and the government is doing a whole lot to safeguard it.”
Soludo, who is running for re-election next Saturday, also noted that the southeast is almost entirely Christian and that the crisis in the region should not be portrayed as a religious conflict.
““In this part of the country, we are 95 percent Christian,” he said.
“The people in the bushes killing others bear Christian names; it is wider than the categorisation of Christians and Muslims. Nigeria will overcome, and it will end in conversation.”
KanyiDaily recalls that Former militant leader Asari Dokubo said he would resist any U.S troops sent to Nigeria on orders from President Donald Trump.
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