Bayo Onanuga.webp
The Digest:

President Bola Tinubu's media aide, Bayo Onanuga, has countered the US government's narrative of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, stating that "Muslim lives matter too." The response came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the "slaughter of thousands of Christians" as "tragic and unacceptable," defending the decision to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern.

Key Points:
  • Bayo Onanuga responded directly to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on X.
  • He stated, "Muslim lives matter too" in Nigeria's security crisis.
  • Onanuga dismissed claims of a Christian genocide as a "gross exaggeration."
  • He asserted that attacks by bandits and terrorists are "religiously insensitive."
  • The aide called for military support from the US, not diplomatic designations.
  • The US had designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern.
  • The exchange highlights the international politicization of Nigeria's internal conflict.
The rebuttal challenges a foreign narrative by reframing the crisis as a national tragedy affecting all faiths, demanding practical support over polarized labeling.

Sources: Daily Post Nigeria, X (Twitter) Exchange