Babachir Lawal, former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), says a delegation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including President Bola Tinubu, was the first to alert the US government, a few years ago, about alleged killings of Christians in Nigeria.
The ex-SGF spoke during an interview on Channels
Television’s Politics Today programme on Monday while reacting to recent
comments by the US President Donald Trump over claims of Christian persecution
in Nigeria.
Trump had instructed the US department of defence to prepare
for “possible action” in Nigeria and urged the government to stop the “killing
of Christians” in the country.
The federal government has, however, rejected the
allegation, insisting that insecurity in Nigeria affects all religious groups.
Lawal said Trump’s remarks were not new since APC leaders
had raised similar concerns years ago during the administration of former
President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Trump might be right or not but recall that there was a
delegation that first went to the United States to tell, I think Obama then,
that Christians were being slaughtered in Nigeria,” he said.
“It included this man, the president (Tinubu), that APC
delegation. I saw the picture: Buhari was there, Amaechi was there.
“I think he (Tinubu) was even the one sitting close to the
president when they went to lobby the Americans that the Goodluck Jonathan
government was carrying out genocide in Nigeria.
“Forget about genocide or no genocide in Nigeria. The issue
is that the government must guarantee the security of our lives and property.
That’s all we want from government.”
The former SGF said the Tinubu administration had not shown
the capacity to address the country’s security challenges and religious
tensions.
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