A former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Samson Supo Ayokunle, has urged President Bola Tinubu to reach out to United States President Donald Trump over the killings of Christians in Nigeria.
Ayokunle, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s Inside Sources programme, said this is a “sad development” and that the matter should have been addressed long before it escalated to the current level.
He lamented that insecurity had persisted in the country for over fifteen years, warning that failure to act swiftly could worsen the situation.
He advised the Federal government to engage the American government diplomatically rather than allow tensions to grow.
According to him, if Nigeria needs help, it should make a direct request to Washington instead of waiting for external intervention.
“President Tinubu should reach out to Donald Trump. If there is any help we need, we should request for it.
“We must not wait until the US brings its troops here. Once they come, it will be difficult to send them back. We don’t want another form of imperialism,” Ayokunle said.
His remarks follow Trump’s recent comments threatening possible military action in Nigeria over reported attacks on Christians.
The US president said he had asked the Pentagon to prepare a response plan if Nigeria failed to stop the killings.
In reaction, Presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala said Nigeria remained a key ally of the US in the global fight against terrorism and expressed hope that dialogue between both leaders would yield positive outcomes.