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'It is not a religious genocide' - Nigerian experts say insecurity affects all communities, dismiss Trump's claims of 'selective' abductions

'It is not a religious genocide' - Nigerian experts say insecurity affects all communities, dismiss Trump's claims of 'selective' abductions

"Nigerian security analysts reacted to renewed concerns over student and teacher abductions across the country during an interview in Abuja on Thursday, stressing that insecurity affects all communities regardless of religion. The comments followed recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Christian children were being 'specifically targeted' in Nigeria – a statement local experts firmly reject. "When we disaggregated that data, it was very clear that there is no specific targeting of any religious group," asserted Dr Kabiru Adamu, Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, adding that although it can be the case, the underlying motives are often different. Responding directly to Trump's claims, he described it as a 'selective narrative'. "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." Dr Kabiru Adamu also noted that children are commonly among the victims because schools in rural areas are frequent targets of armed groups. "When you disaggregate the data, you find out that it cuts across both children and adults," he said. "Insecurities take place more in the rural areas, in the hinterlands, where there is bloodshed; sometimes there is this large divide, the technological divide between the urban and rural areas," remarked research analyst Ahiara Davies Emeka, underscoring that communities most affected by banditry often lack the means to communicate threats or call for help. "Those guys in the hinterland who are the most victims of this act of banditry or terrorism, what is their level of communication?" he asked. "So it's one thing to say, yes, using cutting-edge technology. Another thing again. Even like our security agencies keep gathering intelligence, but are they actionable?" Nigeria has struggled with worsening insecurity for years, with over 1,400 students and teachers abducted since 2014 as armed groups target rural schools in the northwest and north-central regions. "