A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has praised former U.S. President Donald Trump for designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over persistent killings, human rights abuses, and the government’s failure to protect its citizens.

In a statement released in Abuja on Saturday, Frank described Trump’s decision as a “bold and long-overdue move” that exposes the Nigerian government’s complicity in widespread insecurity and corruption.

Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, cited “widespread attacks on Christians” and the “existential threat facing Christianity” in Nigeria, stating:

“Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN — but that is the least of it.”

Reacting, Frank said Trump’s action “speaks truth to power” and demonstrates greater concern for ordinary Nigerians than the current leadership has shown. He emphasized that the CPC designation reflects the Nigerian government’s tolerance for impunity, failure to prosecute perpetrators of mass killings, and systemic corruption.

Frank called on the U.S. to impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes, specifically on Nigerian officials complicit in human rights violations and corruption, rather than measures that would further harm ordinary citizens.

He accused Nigerian authorities of protecting killers and negotiating with terrorists instead of prosecuting them, stating:

“The government knows those behind the killings but chooses complicity over justice.”

Frank, currently serving as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, urged the international community to hold corrupt officials accountable. He warned that failure to act decisively would worsen the humanitarian crisis and embolden those benefiting from insecurity.

“The recurring bloodshed is a direct reflection of governance failure. Officials entrusted with protecting lives must be held accountable when they fail,” he said.

He thanked Trump for his “moral courage” and called on other global leaders to emulate him in standing up for justice and human rights in Nigeria.