Pastor Tunde Bakare, Serving Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church, has alleged that President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and claims of Christian genocide are motivated by interest in Nigeria’s oil, mineral resources, real estate, and emerging technology sectors.
Speaking during a State of the Nation Address on Sunday, Bakare said a vision shortly after Trump’s 2024 election suggested the US president would focus on Nigeria, with symbolic attire pointing to potential religious implications.
He described Trump as a transactional leader and urged the Nigerian government to proactively negotiate mutually beneficial economic deals with the US, rather than respond under pressure.
Bakare also criticised the worsening insecurity in Nigeria, particularly in the Middle Belt, North-West, and South-East, calling it a “shame on the Nigerian state” and accusing the National Assembly and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of inaction.
He highlighted ongoing killings in Benue, Plateau, and Southern Kaduna, noting the need for structured reforms rather than piecemeal responses.
Proposing solutions, Bakare called for a national apology to victims, the establishment of a Victims and Survivors Register, expanded security personnel deployment, technology-enabled surveillance, community policing, and a Presidential Commission for National Reconciliation, Reintegration, and Restructuring.
He also recommended extending the NYSC to two years with military training, creating zonal security councils, reforming the federal police into a national investigative body, and adopting a dual foreign policy with both Middle Eastern and Western engagement.
Bakare concluded that Nigeria’s stability depends on confronting structural challenges around identity, equity, governance, and coexistence, urging unity between the North and South to negotiate a new national settlement.
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