“Adopt Partnership, Not Force,” Buratai Tells US Over Nigeria Policy

Nigeria’s former chief of army staff, Tukur Buratai, has advised the United States to pursue cooperation rather than confrontation in its dealings with Nigeria. His remarks followed President Donald Trump’s decision on Friday to redesignate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” citing allegations of Christian genocide.

In a statement released on Sunday, Buratai dismissed the genocide claim as “a dangerous misrepresentation” of Nigeria’s complex realities, cautioning that any military intervention based on such claims could destabilize the region.

He warned that the growing tension between both nations risked leading to a “catastrophic miscalculation,” but also offered an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations if approached with diplomacy and respect.

“The ‘Christian genocide’ narrative is a dangerously reductive distortion of Nigeria’s intricate realities,” Buratai said. “For the United States, acting on this fallacy would be a profound strategic blunder; for Nigeria, it constitutes an existential menace. To retreat from this brink, both nations must transcend immediate political posturing and acknowledge their shared interests in lasting stability and economic progress.”