Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has dismissed claims of a religious genocide in Nigeria's South East, saying the ongoing violence in the region has nothing to do with religion.
Soludo was reacting to recent comments by US President Donald Trump, who threatened to "protect Christians in Nigeria" through possible military action, accusing the Nigerian government of allowing the killing of Christians.
Speaking during a media chat which aired live on Channels Television, Soludo said while the United States is entitled to its opinions, its actions must still align with international law.
"There is a deeper conversation and introspection about what goes on in the country. In this part of the world -- eastern Nigeria -- it is not religious," he said.
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"People are killing themselves -- Christians killing Christians. The people in the bushes are Emmanuel, Peter, and John, all Christian names, and they have maimed and killed thousands of our youths. It has nothing to do with religion."
The governor noted that the south-east is overwhelmingly Christian, yet much of the violence comes from within the same faith community.
"In this part of the country, we are 95 percent Christians, and the people in the bushes killing people bear Christian names," he said.
"It is wider than the categorisation of Christians and Muslims. Nigeria will overcome, and it will end in conversation."
He urged both local and international actors to look beyond religious framing and focus on addressing the deeper political, social, and economic roots of the crisis through dialogue and reconciliation.
