Speaking on Thursday, experts stressed that the country’s kidnapping crisis affects communities across regions and religions, driven by long-standing insecurity rather than sectarian motives.
Dr Kabiru Adamu, Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, said available evidence does not support Trump’s assertion. “That claim by President Trump, we describe it as selective, you know, narrative,” he stated, arguing that the comment appears shaped by domestic political considerations in the United States. “He, for some reason, decided, and I think it’s because of domestic politics in the US, to narrow down on religion. But the reality, as we know it, looking at the data at our disposal, suggests that it is not a religious genocide.”
Analysts highlighted that while children are often among the victims, this is largely because rural schools are frequent targets for armed groups who operate in remote areas with limited state presence. As Dr Adamu explained, “There are instances where the attacks specifically target children, especially if the attacks have to do with schools… But then, when you disaggregate the data, you find out that it cuts across both children and adults.”
Experts also underscored broader structural challenges: insecurity is most severe in rural communities, where communication systems are weak and security responses slow. These conditions have allowed armed groups to abduct more than 1,400 students and teachers since 2014, particularly in the north-west and north-central regions, underscoring how Nigeria’s security crisis continues to deepen beyond religious narratives.
