Isaac Fayose Counters Trump: ‘Christians Are Killing Each Other in South East, Not Genocide’

Public commentator faults Trump’s genocide claim, says Nigeria’s crisis is not religious

Nigerian businessman and public commentator, Prince Isaac Fayose, has dismissed former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Christians in Nigeria are victims of genocide.

Trump recently designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and alleged that widespread killings of Christians were taking place across the nation. He also warned that the U.S. military could intervene if Nigeria’s government failed to act.

But Fayose, speaking in a video shared on his official Facebook page, strongly disagreed with Trump’s statement, insisting that the country’s security challenges are not driven by religion.

“There is no Christian genocide in this country,” Fayose said. “Both Christians and Muslims are living happily in Nigeria. We party, drink, and eat together.”

He argued that the violence in parts of the country — especially in the South East region — is largely perpetrated by Christians against fellow Christians, particularly during the enforcement of sit-at-home orders.

“If you are shouting genocide, what about the killings in the South East? Christians are killing Christians there,” he added.

Fayose further defended President Bola Tinubu, saying the Nigerian leader would never allow any form of genocide.

“President Tinubu’s wife is a Christian. It’s not about religion — it’s about the Nigerian life. Both Muslims and Christians need protection,” he said.

The younger brother to former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, also criticized Trump for hypocrisy, accusing him of expelling Africans from the U.S. while claiming to care about their safety.

“If Trump truly loves us, he won’t be chasing our brothers from America. Help our government to do better, but don’t say Christians are being killed — that’s a lie,” Fayose declared.

His comments have since stirred widespread debate online, with Nigerians split over whether Trump’s designation accurately reflects the country’s complex insecurity problem.