Governor of Anambra state, Charles Soludo has refuted claims that the ongoing violence in the southeast is religiously motivated, stating that the killings in the region are being carried out by Christians against one another.
Gatekeepers News reports that Soludo made this remark while responding to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments threatening to protect Christians in Nigeria by launching attacks to wipe out Islamic terrorists.
Trump’s statement followed renewed allegations of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, propagated by some U.S. lawmakers, international media outlets, and local secessionist groups.
Speaking during a media chat on Sunday, Soludo said that while the U.S. has the right to its opinions, its actions must still align with international law.
“The U.S. can hold its views, but when it comes to what it does, I am sure it must also act within the realm of its own international law,” he said.
The Governor stressed that the ongoing violence in the southeast is not about religion but internal conflict among people of the same faith.
He said, “There is a deeper conversation and introspection needed about what goes on in the country. In this part of the world, eastern Nigeria, it is not religious. People are killing themselves—Christians killing Christians. The people in the bushes are Emmanuel, Peter, and John, all Christian names, and they have maimed and killed thousands of our youths. It has nothing to do with religion.”
Soludo explained that the southeastern region is predominantly Christian, noting that most of those involved in the violence share the same faith as their victims.
He said, “Here, we are about 95 percent Christians, and those around the southeast are also Christians. The people in the bushes killing people bear Christian names. It is beyond the categorisation of Christians and Muslims.”
Soludo concluded by calling for deeper reflection and open dialogue as the path to national healing. He added, “Nigeria will overcome, and it will end in conversation.”
