Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has defended recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump on insecurity in Nigeria, insisting that the remarks reflect the country’s grim reality.
Speaking with journalists at the National Assembly in Abuja, Kalu said Trump’s statements on religiously motivated killings should not be dismissed, noting that both Christians and Muslims continue to fall victim to extremist attacks across the country.
“Let’s be honest. What Donald Trump said is not a lie. Nigerians are being killed, whether they are Christians or Muslims,” he said. “If they attack in Plateau, the victims are mostly Christians; in Zamfara, they are Muslims. These people are jihadists. They want to destroy Nigeria, and we must call them by their name without pity.”
Kalu, who maintains close ties with American political figures, revealed that he had spoken with two former U.S. presidents, one Democrat and one Republican, as well as more than 60 U.S. lawmakers, who he said expressed readiness to assist Nigeria in combating terrorism.
“Before President Trump said anything, I’m sure the American intelligence community had already verified the facts. You can see that the Nigerian Air Force has intensified operations in the past few days, possibly based on intelligence from U.S. authorities,” he added.
Identifying himself as “pro-America,” Kalu urged Nigerian authorities to deepen cooperation with Washington while calling on citizens and the media to help security agencies identify extremist elements in their communities.
He, however, blamed the United States and its allies for contributing to the proliferation of arms in Africa following the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein.
“Let’s also be honest — America partly created this problem. After they killed Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, arms flooded Africa. But as the leader of the free world, the U.S. still has a role to play in restoring order,” he said.
Kalu expressed optimism that the Tinubu administration would overcome current security and economic challenges, praising ongoing military operations in the North.
He dismissed reports of attempts to unseat the Senate President, saying the Senate remains united in its support for President Tinubu’s economic agenda.