Open letter to President Tinubu, by Kola Amzat

Open letter to President Tinubu: Reaching out to us congress’s Chris Smith subcommittee hearing on genocide claims on Nigerian christians

His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu(GCFR),

President, Commander-in-Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Aso Villa,

FCT, Abuja.   

Your Excellency,

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT TINUBU

REACHING OUT TO UNITED STATES CONGRESS’S CHRIS SMITH SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON GENOCIDE CLAIMS ON NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS.

Your Excellency, in less than 48 hours, precisely Thursday, November 20, 2025, United States Congress is set to hold hearing to examine allegations of genocide against the Christians in Nigeria, following the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by President Donald Trump a couple of weeks ago.    

The session is scheduled to be chaired by Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa.

It’s instructive to note that, Smith has been one of the leading and dominant voices in the US legislative chamber that have been in the vanguard of comprehensive scrutiny on the subject of religious freedom in Nigeria.

It was Smith who in the recent past introduced a resolution that identified Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) as the deadly group that have been attacking the Christians.

Then, Smith’s resolution promptly recommended sanctions against the members of the group. The sanctions recommended included freezing of their assets, as well as slamming visa restrictions on them.

The resolutions also included the designation of Fulani Ethnic Militias that are attacking Benue and Plateau people as “Entities of Particular Concern” (EPC), under the International Religious Freedom Act.

Report from Mr. Chris Smith office indicates that the hearing will deliberate extensively on the far-reaching implications of Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern”, as well as the steps to be taken by US State Department in response to what the congressmen termed, Nigerian complicity in the whole case.       

From the foregoing, it’s crystal clear that Nigeria job is already cut out.

The US Congress hearing presents a wonderful opportunity for Nigeria to lay bare her case in the glare of the global community. 

Your Excellency, this writer humbly advise that Nigerian delegation to be led by Foreign Affairs Minister, Mallam Yusuf Tuggar, accompanied by top Nigerian diplomats, preferably Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Prof Bolaji Adeyemi, Mr. Henry Ajumogobia, and Iconic Scholar-Diplomat, Ibrahim Gambari, should by now be preparing to hit America on or before Thursday, November 20, with a view to making justifications during the hearing on why Nigeria name should be struck out from the list.   

Justifications for striking out Nigeria from the list of Country of Particular Concern should include:

Like many other countries, Nigeria has over decades experienced acute internal security challenges precipitated by very violent and destructive groups such as Boko Haram, maitatsine, insurgents, banditry and Fulani herders. Nigeria delegation must stress to the US Congress Committee that these groups attack and neutralize their victims without regard for their faith, and that more Nigerians in the Muslim dominated states of Zamfara, Borno, Kebbi, Katsina, Yobe, Gombe, Jigawa, all in the northern part have suffered most.  

Suffice to submit that, the security situation in the country is not targeted at a particular ethnic group or religious sect.

It’s also important on the part of delegation to stress it to the US Congress Committee that Nigerian politicians who lost in the elections are mischievously pushing the narrative of Christian genocide in the Nigeria.

There is need to emphasise to the committee that the disgruntled Nigerian group don’t have any modicum of goodwill towards the country, as they indeed applauded President Trump for designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.  

Of course, a president, who most of the Security Chiefs are Christians can’t be said to be presiding over a country deliberately carrying out a genocide against Christians! This is no brainier!

The Nigerian delegation must make it abundantly clear to the US Congress Committee that designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” will significantly hurt the on-going collaboration of religious leaders and leaders of thoughts with Tinubu government to collectively resolve the nagging problems of first, the persecution of Christians and of course the larger issues of ending the mindless killings of our hapless and defenceless citizens.

Besides, the Congress should be told: President Thumb action will only aggravate tensions, increase doubt, open windows of suspicion and fear and, simply allow the criminals and perpetrators of violence to further exploit and get emboldened.

Finally, Nigerian delegation must further cultivate the Chris Smith led US Congress Committee that, what the most populous black nation in the globe needs from America and President Trump are immediate assistance, as well as collaboration in the following areas:

·       Maximum support, in form of modern war equipment and ammunition to further neutralise and degrade the insurgency, banditry and religious sects

·       Assistance in form of military aids and grants to continually protect and fortify Nigerian territorial integrity.

·       Collaboration with Nigerian government to ensure that African continent as a whole enjoy democratic government.

·       Of course, providing technical know-how and training, in form of contemporary military skills and capacity to Nigerian members of Armed Forces-Army, Air force, Navy

Hon Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB),Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

Lagos, Nigeria.

09077509348, [email protected]