Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has cautioned United States President Donald Trump against making sweeping statements about religious persecution in Nigeria, warning that such remarks could escalate tensions and distort the realities of the country’s security challenges.
Trump recently directed the U.S. Department of Defence to prepare for “possible action” in Nigeria and urged the Nigerian government to act swiftly to stop what he described as the “killing of Christians.” The Federal Government has rejected the allegations, insisting that insecurity affects Nigerians of all faiths.
Speaking in an interview with Democracy Now, Soyinka said Trump’s portrayal of the crisis as targeted attacks against Christians oversimplifies a complex conflict and risks inflaming religious hostilities.
“We must separate Nigeria’s long-standing internal problems from President Trump’s recent response,” he said.
“The Christian–Islam, or Islam-versus-the-rest kind of dichotomy has existed for decades. It became truly horrendous when politics got mixed up with religious differences.”
The literary icon said extremist groups have weaponised religion for political and economic gain, while political leaders failed to hold perpetrators accountable, allowing impunity to flourish.
He cited the lynching of a student accused of blasphemy — whose killers boasted on video yet escaped punishment — as an example of how justice failures deepen the perception of a religious war.
“In truth, we are dealing with extremists — political Islamists, known sometimes as ISWAP or Boko Haram — not with Muslims as a people,” he stressed, adding that these groups have ties to global terror networks and access to advanced weapons that challenge Nigeria’s military.
Soyinka criticised previous Nigerian governments for not confronting violent fundamentalism early enough. “When we have sweeping statements like Trump’s, it doesn’t make things easier. It expands the regions of hostility and makes peaceful resolution even more difficult,” he said.
Asked to comment on Trump’s choice of words, “We will act very vicious and sweet”, Soyinka said:
“He should be flattered I compared him to Idi Amin”
Soyinka also disclosed that his U.S. visa was once revoked due to his criticism of the Trump administration.
“I have a feeling that I haven’t been flattering Donald Trump,” he remarked wryly.
He added that Trump should feel “flattered” that he once likened him to former Ugandan ruler Idi Amin.
“Trump has said he likes war — I’m quoting him. Idi Amin was a man of war and brutality,” Soyinka said.
“Idi Amin even called himself the last king of Scotland. He claimed he was going to liberate Scotland from the British.”
The Nobel laureate said discussions on Nigeria’s security must focus on combating extremism, ensuring justice, and avoiding rhetoric that can inflame religious or ethnic divisions.
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