Kidnapping Outrage: FG Blames U.S. Comments for Surge in Abductions

The Federal Government has issued a pointed warning that recent statements from the United States, portraying Nigeria’s security crisis as a campaign of “Christian genocide”, are emboldening violent groups and worsening tensions across the country. At a formal briefing in Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, dismissed the genocide label as unfounded, insisting that no reputable international institution has categorized Nigeria’s conflict in such terms. His tone carried the weight of a government impatient with what it views as dangerous simplifications of a complex security environment. Akume said the rhetoric circulating abroad risks hardening the resolve of extremist and criminal groups who often seize on international narratives to justify renewed attacks on defenseless communities. He pointed to the long history of Boko Haram and ISWAP strikes on both churches and mosques, describing them as organizations that kill without discrimination, cutting across Christian, Muslim and traditionalist populations. He stressed that Nigeria does not need foreign troops, nor sweeping labels that heighten tensions, but rather deeper intelligence cooperation, advanced technology, and equipment that can help dismantle violent networks with precision. On the roots of banditry in the North West, the SGF linked the crisis to land pressures, water scarcity, illegal mining and kidnapping for ransom, arguing that these criminal markets thrive on economic desperation rather than sectarian motives. His message was framed as a call for collective resolve. He urged citizens to resist religious framing of the violence, saying the current moment demands a unified front rather than one fractured along faith lines. Meanwhile, tension is tightening further as outrage grows over fresh abductions in Kwara and Kebbi States. The government has drawn a direct connection between the surge in attacks and the international narrative it is contesting. Officials believe recent pronouncements from abroad may be encouraging criminal cells to escalate operations. In Kebbi, the attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, where dozens of schoolgirls were taken and a staff member killed, continues to send shock-waves through the region. Security agencies are in a race against time, combing forest corridors and riverine patches for signs of the missing girls. In Kwara, anger has spilled onto the streets following assaults on places of worship. Youths recently blocked a major highway, demanding stronger state intervention and accusing authorities of failing to halt the slide into fear. The diplomatic undertones are growing sharper. Abuja insists the foreign narrative risks inflaming sectarian divisions and destabilizing efforts to build trust between communities already stretched thin by years of insecurity. Northern civil society groups have also pushed back, with some describing the genocide narrative as reckless and capable of igniting tension where none previously existed. Behind the government’s warnings lies a great sense of unease; that the power of words spoken abroad can travel faster and negatively impact extremists more than expected, suffering defenseless localities in ways that are hard to reverse. As officials attempt to stabilize communities, each new kidnapping, each new attack, seems to underline the urgency of halting a narrative they believe is feeding the flames

| 2025-11-20 13:41:59