|By Chinwendu Nwani
The General Overseer of All Nations Evangelism Ministry (ANEM) and President of the Christian Association of Clergies in Nigeria (CAC-Nig), Archbishop Yiman Orkwar, has declared that only sponsors and sympathisers of terrorism should fear U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent warning of intervention against genocide in Nigeria.
Speaking with journalists in Makurdi on the renewed killings by armed herdsmen, Archbishop Orkwar said Trump’s remarks were directed at terrorists, not the Nigerian government.
“If you are not a terrorist or a sponsor of terrorism, why should you be afraid?” he asked. “Trump didn’t say he’s coming to overthrow Tinubu’s government. He said he’ll come after terrorists. If our leaders can’t protect us, then they should cooperate with him to flush these people out.”
Describing the ongoing violence in Benue and Plateau States as “genocide,” the cleric decried the incessant massacres and mass burials, insisting that Christians in Nigeria are facing persecution.
“Men, women, and children are being killed; lands are taken over and farms burnt. What else is genocide?” he lamented.
Orkwar blamed successive governments for lacking the political will to confront the attackers, saying the situation worsened under previous administrations and has continued under President Tinubu.
“Tinubu started as someone who wanted to act, but now he seems distracted by 2027,” he said. “If he can’t stop the killings, let him work with Trump. These terrorists are foreigners, and those who brought them in are still walking free.”
He urged the Federal Government to officially classify armed herdsmen as terrorists to give security agencies the authority to act decisively.
“You don’t negotiate with terrorists. Once you do, they’ll use your money to buy more arms,” he warned.
Dismissing fears that U.S. intervention could undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty, Orkwar argued that international action is justified when genocide occurs.
“Genocide is not just a national issue; it’s a universal concern. If the U.S. wants to help stop it, we should see that as an opportunity, not a threat,” he noted.
He called on Nigerian leaders to stop “playing politics with people’s lives,” stressing that every Nigerian life matters.
“If Trump wants to help end terrorism, the government should cooperate. We cannot continue like this — people are being killed daily, and our nation has become the saddest place on earth,” Orkwar added.
