Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf, has raised concerns over the presence and purpose of American troops in Nigeria, questioning their operational focus amid ongoing violence across the country.
Yusuf spoke during an interview on Trust TV shared on Thursday, March 12, 2026, addressing the rising number of casualties and the protection of civilians in conflict-affected regions.
He referred to statements by the U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the deployment of American forces: “Trump said he sent his troops. Trump said he sent, the premise of Trump’s troops being here is not for God and country. He said to come here and save his cherished Christians.”
Yusuf questioned the effectiveness and impartiality of foreign forces in protecting Nigerians: “Well, now it’s not his cherished Christians that have been killed all across the land. All these places are Muslims that have been killed. So are the American forces holding their intelligence and watching these bad guys killing Muslims?”
He also recounted receiving communication from contacts in the United States who were concerned about the situation: “Look, I will tell you a story. A few days ago, I got a phone call from a friend in the United States, in the hall of power. I mean, when things happen, people call me from all over and say, are you okay? The first thing he asks is, Usman, are you okay? I say, I’m fine.”
Yusuf noted that his contact was particularly concerned about potential religious targeting in ongoing violence: “You know what he asked next? Is this what we are seeing? He got the clips. He was sending me the clips from the United States of our soldiers being, he was asking me, Usman, are you okay? I’m okay. Is this part of the Christian genocide continuing…..See More
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