Public affairs commentator, Mahdi Shehu, has launched a strong attack on former U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him and the United States of plotting to destabilize Nigeria under the guise of protecting Christians.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday night, Shehu described Trump as a “war monger” and condemned what he called America’s hypocrisy on religion, morality, human rights, and democracy.
His comments followed Trump’s recent statement threatening possible military action in Nigeria, claiming it was necessary to defend persecuted Christians. Shehu dismissed the claim as a cover-up for a deeper political and economic agenda.
“There is no better pretender about religion, morality, equality, human rights, justice and democracy than America and now along with its blood-thirsty Hollywood actor, Trump,” he wrote.
The outspoken analyst accused the United States of preaching peace while fuelling wars across the world. He said the U.S. was in no position to lecture any nation on justice or security, given its own record of internal violence and mass shootings.
“With a series of terror attacks and daily killings of its citizens, America is unable to alert its own people but has the effrontery to create a false sense of concern for others,” Shehu said.
He further alleged that the U.S. had, since the end of World War II, been responsible directly or through proxy wars for the deaths of millions of Christians across the world. According to him, these wars were never fought “in the name of Jesus,” but to serve “selfish and sadistic motives.”
Shehu also accused Washington of applying double standards in its foreign policy. While the U.S. promotes democracy in Africa, he said, it openly supports monarchies and authoritarian regimes in other parts of the world because of oil interests and arms sales.
“America exports one brand of democracy to Africa and pretends to care about human rights, while supporting monarchies elsewhere because crude oil is sweet and arms sales are profitable,” he stated.
The Kaduna-born activist also accused the U.S. of helping to hide stolen funds from corrupt African leaders. He argued that this practice keeps poor nations underdeveloped while giving America an opportunity to interfere in their politics.
According to Shehu, Trump’s renewed interest in the welfare of Nigerian Christians is part of a wider plan to create religious conflict and weaken the country.
“In the process of killing Islamic terrorists in Nigeria, American drones and warplanes will end up targeting Islamic clerics, Muslim-dominated settlements, mosques, and madrasas,” he warned.
He alleged that the “true goal” of Trump’s so-called defense of Christians is to ignite war in Nigeria, divide the population along religious lines, and make it easier for the West to control the nation’s resources.
“The whole aim of America’s new love for Christians is to create war in Nigeria, destroy it as a potential regional power, install stooges, rule by proxy, and extract endless raw materials for their satisfaction,” Shehu said.
To back up his argument, Shehu drew parallels with countries such as Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt, Somalia, Iran, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, which he said were all destabilized by U.S. intervention.
“When one recalls these countries, one cannot stop seeing America as the Devil Incarnate,” he wrote.
Shehu accompanied his post with a photograph of Trump in a U.S. courtroom, saying it was ironic that the man “inciting violence abroad” was himself facing charges for attempting to undermine democracy at home.
He concluded his post with the words, “The devil is a liar.”
Shehu’s comments have stirred mixed reactions online. Some Nigerians supported his warning, arguing that foreign powers often exploit religious and ethnic tensions for political gain. Others dismissed his remarks as an overreaction, saying Nigeria should focus on improving human rights and security rather than blaming outsiders.
The Nigerian government has not officially reacted to either Trump’s comments or Shehu’s warning. However, observers note that the issue of religious persecution, particularly attacks on Christian and Muslim communities in different parts of the country, remains a sensitive topic in Nigeria’s international relations.
As debates continue, Shehu’s message adds to growing concerns about how foreign powers may use religion as a tool of influence in Africa’s largest democracy.
