A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has dismissed China’s criticism of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on Nigeria, insisting that Beijing has no right to dictate America’s foreign policy.
Moore’s reaction followed China’s disapproval of Trump’s warning that the U.S. might consider military action in Nigeria to “protect Christians from persecution.”
Responding on Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing “firmly opposes any country using religion or human rights as an excuse to interfere in other nations’ internal affairs.”
In an X post, Moore rebuked China’s position, describing it as hypocrisy from a “Communist autocracy.”
“President Trump is absolutely right to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering horrific persecution for their faith,” Moore said.
“China will not dictate our foreign policy. We will not be lectured by a regime that arrests pastors and detains ethnic minorities in concentration camps.”
However, in Nigeria, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, strongly criticised Trump’s statement, describing it as “false, divisive, and politically motivated.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Falana said Trump’s claim that “thousands of Christians are being killed in Nigeria” was unsubstantiated and misrepresented Nigeria’s insecurity as a religious war.
“Mr. Trump has lied to the whole world,” Falana said. “There’s no evidence to support the claim that genocide is taking place in Nigeria. The killings are driven by criminality, not religion.”
The rights lawyer accused Trump of exploiting religion to appeal to his evangelical base in the U.S., while ignoring America’s own human rights issues.
“Between 2020 and 2025, over 280,000 people have been killed by gunmen in the U.S., yet Trump has made no comment on that. What moral authority does he have to lecture Nigeria?” he asked.
Falana urged the Nigerian government to treat the controversy as a wake-up call to address insecurity, lamenting the failure to implement key policies such as the ban on open grazing and the establishment of ranches.
He also criticised the police for their slow response to kidnappings.
“Families are forced to pay ransom while the police watch. Technology can trace calls, yet criminals roam free. This is an embarrassment to a sovereign state,” he said.
Falana further accused the U.S. of hypocrisy over its support for Israel’s actions in Gaza and warned that Trump’s rhetoric could be part of a broader geopolitical effort to weaken Africa and undermine China’s influence.
“We must not allow foreign powers to exploit our challenges for their economic or political interests,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Campaign for Democracy (CD) has condemned what it described as “reckless and inflammatory” remarks by Kaduna-based cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who allegedly made comments about a “Muslim takeover of the White House.”
In a statement signed by its President, Ifeanyi Odili, the group said Gumi’s comments were “irresponsible and dangerous”, warning they could strain Nigeria’s diplomatic relations with the U.S. and fuel extremism.
“We reject any attempt to use religion as a tool for hatred and intolerance,” the statement read. “The government must act now to prevent diplomatic fallout and preserve peace and unity.”
The CD urged President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, and the Chief of Defence Staff to caution Gumi, stressing that such rhetoric threatens Nigeria’s image and internal cohesion.
“Nigeria must remain committed to democracy, human rights, and peaceful coexistence,” Odili said. “Our future depends on responsible leadership and the rejection of hate speech in all its forms.”
