President Bola Tinubu on Friday met with the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’adu Abubakar, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, as part of ongoing consultations with religious and traditional leaders following US President Donald Trump’s recent comments on Nigeria’s human rights record.
The meeting, held in the President’s first-floor office at the State House, was attended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who accompanied the Sultan.
Sources described the discussion as “crucial,” coming just days after Tinubu held a similar engagement with the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Bishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama.
According to Presidency officials, both meetings form part of Tinubu’s broader efforts to engage faith leaders amid growing international attention on religious freedom and human rights in Nigeria.
Last week, President Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he had redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” accusing the government of allowing widespread persecution of Christians.
He wrote:
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN’, But that is the least of it.
Trump further warned that the United States could consider military action if the alleged killings continue.
Nigeria’s government swiftly rejected the characterisation, describing it as inaccurate and unfair.
Officials insisted that the constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that ongoing security challenges affect both Christian and Muslim communities alike.
Meanwhile, Senator Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, has weighed in on the controversy, saying Trump’s remarks should serve as “a wake-up call” to intensify the fight against terrorism.
In a statement issued on Thursday, titled “Alleged Genocide: My Stance on President Trump’s Statement,” the former Bayelsa governor stressed that while Nigeria’s sovereignty must be protected, the country cannot ignore global concern about its security crisis.
“Terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, ISIS and al-Qaeda have wreaked unimaginable havoc across Nigeria for nearly 15 years,” Dickson said. “Both Christians and Muslims have been victims. Places of worship, churches, mosques, palaces and schools, have all come under attack. Many children, including Leah Sharibu and several Chibok girls, remain missing.”
The senator urged the federal government to work with international partners to strengthen intelligence sharing and bolster counterterrorism efforts.
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