Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has cautioned former United States President Donald Trump against making sweeping statements about religious persecution in Nigeria, warning that such remarks could escalate tensions and distort the country’s complex security realities.
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Trump recently directed the U.S. Department of Defense to prepare for “possible action” in Nigeria and urged the Nigerian government to act swiftly to stop what he described as the “killing of Christians.” The Federal Government has since rejected the allegation, maintaining that insecurity affects Nigerians of all faiths.
Speaking in an interview with Democracy Now, Soyinka said Trump’s portrayal of Nigeria’s security crisis as a targeted campaign against Christians oversimplifies the situation and risks inflaming religious hostilities.
“We must separate Nigeria’s long-standing internal problems from President Trump’s recent response,” Soyinka said.
“The Christian–Islam, or Islam-versus-the-rest kind of dichotomy has existed for decades. It became truly horrendous when politics got mixed up with religious differences.”
The literary icon noted that extremist groups have weaponised religion for political and economic gain, while political leaders have failed to hold perpetrators accountable — allowing impunity to flourish.
He cited the lynching of a student accused of blasphemy whose killers boasted on video yet escaped punishment as an example of how justice failures deepen the perception of a religious war.
“In truth, we are dealing with extremists political Islamists, known sometimes as ISWAP or Boko Haram not with Muslims as a people,” he stressed, adding that these groups maintain ties with global terror networks and access advanced weapons that challenge Nigeria’s military.
Soyinka criticised successive Nigerian governments for failing to confront violent fundamentalism early enough. “When we have sweeping statements like Trump’s, it doesn’t make things easier. It expands the regions of hostility and makes peaceful resolution even more difficult,” he said.
When asked to comment on Trump’s remark that the U.S. “will act very vicious and sweet,” Soyinka quipped, “He should be flattered I compared him to Idi Amin.”
The Nobel laureate further revealed that his U.S. visa was once revoked due to his criticism of the Trump administration.
“I have a feeling that I haven’t been flattering Donald Trump,” he said wryly, adding that Trump should feel “flattered” that he once likened him to former Ugandan ruler, Idi Amin.
“Trump has said he likes war I’m quoting him. Idi Amin was a man of war and brutality,” Soyinka added. “Idi Amin even called himself the last king of Scotland. He claimed he was going to liberate Scotland from the British.”
Soyinka concluded that discussions on Nigeria’s security must focus on combating extremism, ensuring justice, and avoiding rhetoric capable of inflaming religious or ethnic divisions.
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