According to a report by Punch on Friday, November 7, 2025, the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of sanctions over alleged killings of Christians in Nigeria, calling it an “empty threat” driven by arrogance.
The NEF Spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jiddere, said the Forum viewed Trump’s statements as a personal outburst rather than an official U.S. policy.
He described the comments as unnecessary and lacking due process, insisting that they do not reflect the position of the American government or its institutions.
Jiddere explained that the Northern Elders were deeply concerned about what he called Trump’s “personal arrogance” in making such statements.
According to him, no genocide is happening in the northern part of Nigeria.
Instead, he said both Christians and Muslims in the region are suffering from the same wave of violence caused by terrorism and insecurity.
He noted that insecurity affects all communities, regardless of religion or ethnicity, and should not be turned into a tool for foreign interference.
Professor Jiddere suggested that the recent U.S. position may have been influenced by geopolitical interests.
He alleged that the growing economic relationship between Nigeria and China has made Washington uncomfortable.
This, he claimed, could be one of the reasons behind the sudden threats and harsh tone coming from Trump and some American lawmakers.
“The Northern Elders Forum has frowned, seriously frowned at this threat, which to me, as far as I’m concerned, is an empty threat. Because even in the U.S., it has not gone through the normal process. It’s just Trump’s personal arrogance that he made this statement,” he told Punch correspondent in a phone call.
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