The Nigerian government has blamed recent terror attacks, including the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi and an assault on a church in Kwara, on remarks from US President Donald Trump, which it claims have “inadvertently emboldened” violent groups seeking international attention.
Tinubu Government Blames Trump’s Threat For Renewed Terror Attacks In Nigeria | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/NirP9rOwRB pic.twitter.com/aD6xeYidkY
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) November 19, 2025
The Nigerian Federal Government, through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has attributed a resurgence of terror attacks to recent statements by US President Donald Trump, who designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and threatened to deploy troops over alleged “Christian genocide.”
Akume stated that these pronouncements have “inadvertently emboldened” violent groups to attack soft targets like the school in Kebbi, where 24 schoolgirls were abducted, and the church in Eruku, Kwara, where worshippers were killed and kidnapped.
In response to the national outrage, President Bola Tinubu postponed foreign trips to address the crisis, ordering increased security deployments and vowing to rescue the captives, while the government firmly rejected any foreign troop presence, insisting instead on targeted support in intelligence and equipment from international partners.
“Recent pronouncements from the United States have inadvertently emboldened opportunistic violent groups seeking to exploit international narratives and make bold statements by attacking soft targets.”
“Before these statements, insurgency structures had been significantly degraded and reduced to isolated banditry. This resurgence underscores the vital need for collaboration, not public labelling, between Nigeria and the United States.”
– George Akume, SGF