Lagos residents react to Trump’s threat of military action against Nigeria скачать в хорошем качестве

Lagos residents react to Trump’s threat of military action against Nigeria

(3 Nov 2025) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Lagos – 03 November 2025 1. Various of Lagos residents on the street 2. Various of buses 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Idongesit Essien, Lecturer: "Both U.S. and Nigeria have sovereignty, and that word exists for a reason. I do not see the reason why Donald Trump, the President of the United States, will be drumming the drums of war over Nigeria for things that are really not founded." 4. Various of people crossing the road 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Idongesit Essien, Lecturer: "I believe that people get killed in the country, both Christians and Muslims, but to frame it as Christian genocide alone is unthinkable. People that live within these territories are in the way of the natural resources that are attracting the people that are encroaching into the country, and that is why they get killed. Everybody gets killed, but frame it as genocide; I don't think that is the case." 6. Traffic on road 7. Wide of buses 8. SOUNDBITE (Yoruba) Kehinde Ajayi, Civil Servant: “The thing is that when he sends down the soldiers, there’s too much killing in this country; we need help. When the soldiers come, they will help us; at least it will help with the stealing and the Fulani headsmen that are killing us in this country. The farmers cannot go to their farms because of the killings; that’s why things are expensive, but if the soldiers are sent, they will help us.” 9. Various of Lagos residents 10. SOUNDBITE (English) John Aggrey, Banker: "There isn't a Christian genocide per se. But if this thing continues unabated, if it is not nipped in the bud, the population of Christians will drastically reduce; that is just the fact. Because if you go, the Christian minorities in the north, they are scared of actually showing or displaying their faith in the open because they feel they are endangered." 11. Wide of Lagos residents 12. Wide of buses STORYLINE: There were mixed reactions in Lagos on Monday after US President Donald Trump said he’d ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria, as he stepped up his allegations that the government is failing to rein in the persecution of Christians in the West African country. Trump also warned that he “will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria.” The warning came after Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier on Saturday pushed back on Trump announcing a day earlier that he was designating the West African country “a country of particular concern” for allegedly failing to rein in the persecution of Christians. In a social media statement on Saturday, Tinubu said that the characterization of Nigeria as a religiously intolerant country does not reflect the national reality. “Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” Tinubu said. “Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it. Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.” Trump on Friday said “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” and “radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.” Trump’s comment came weeks after US Senator Ted Cruz urged Congress to designate Africa’s most populous country as a violator of religious freedom with claims of “Christian mass murder.” Nigeria’s population of 220 million is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims. Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives. While Christians are among those targeted, some analysts say they do not believe it is enough to be tagged genocide. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...