Nigeria Clarifies What Really Happened With Trump’s Airstrikes |
The Nigerian government took the time to debunk President Trump’s claims of Christian genocide in Nigeria after he announced the bombing of Africa’s most populous (and most oil-rich) nation.
“The United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump announced on Truth Social Christmas night. “I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.”
The issue with right-wing claims of Christian genocide in Nigeria is that terror groups and militias are killing everyone, Christians and Muslims alike. The Nigerian government, which says it provided intelligence to the Trump administration before the strikes, clarified what they were really about.
“Nigeria reiterates that all counter-terrorism efforts are guided by the primacy of protecting civilian lives, safeguarding national unity, and upholding the rights and dignity of all citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a statement. “Terrorist violence in any form whether directed at Christians, Muslims, or other communities remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security.”
Nigeria has spent months attempting to clarify this point, as the right has spent months attempting to justify violent U.S. intervention to protect Christians—with Trump threatening to enter Nigeria “gun-a- blazing” just last month.
“This is not a Christian genocide, because the facts don’t support it,” Good Governance Nigeria researcher Malik Samuel said in November. “If you look at the areas where this conflict is rife, even in the—even if you take Borno state alone, you look at northern Borno, many of these communities are Muslim-dominated. So most of the victims of Boko Haram violence are Muslims.”
Trump is running with this much like he ran with the absurd claims of white genocide in South Africa—and both Christian and Muslims in Nigeria will suffer the consequences.
It’s official: December was the deadliest month for immigrants in ICE custody since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
This year was already the deadliest for those in ICE custody since 2004. In December, that trend continued, with seven immigrants dying in ICE detention, including four that died within a four day span, according to death notices published by ICE. Three of the deceased were held at facilities in Texas before they died. Four of the deceased died within four days of each other.
Francisco Gaspar-Andres, a 48-year-old man from Guatemala died on December 3, after being held at Camp East Montana in Texas since September. In his notice, ICE noted that although his “cause of death is pending, medical staff attributed it to natural liver and kidney failure.” The new detention facility at Fort Bliss has reportedly already violated dozens of federal standards for immigrant detention since welcoming detainees in August.
Pete Sumalo Montejo, a 72-year-old Filipino man who was previously convicted of child sexual abuse, died on December 5 at the Montgomery Processing Center in Texas. ICE reported that Montejo had suffered a number of illnesses throughout his time in custody: In June he was admitted for shortness of breath and hypoxia, and between July and November he was hospitalized several times for illnesses such as anemia and septic shock resulting from pneumonia.
Shiraz Fatehali Sachwani, a 48 year-old man from Pakistan, died on December 6, after being held at Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, since June. He was admitted to the hospital in November after experiencing low oxygen levels and tachycardia.
Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year-old Haitian man detained at Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey, died on December 12 from “suspected natural causes.” Immigrants held at Delaney Hall previously said that they were starved.
Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, a 46-year-old Eritrean man, died in ICE custody December 14 at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania. Abdulkadir’s sudden death is reportedly the second to occur at that facility this year, and is currently being investigated by Pennsylvania State Police and the Clearfield County coroner.
Delvin Francisco Rodriguez, a 39-year-old man from Nicaragua was pronounced dead on December 14, just one day after he was scheduled to be deported. He was discovered unresponsive and without a pulse at the Adams County Detention Center in Colorado on December 4, removed to a medical facility, and declared dead 10 days later.
Nenko Stanev Gantchev, a 56-year-old man from Bulgaria, died in ICE custody........