• Says violence in region driven by social, political, and economic issues

Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has dismissed claims of a religious genocide against Christians in Nigeria’s South-East, describing such allegations as “false, misleading, and disconnected from reality.”

Speaking during a live interview on Channels Television, Soludo said the violence in the South-East is not rooted in religion but in social, political, and economic grievances that have long plagued the region.

His comments come in response to recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused the Nigerian government of tolerating mass killings of Christians and threatened possible military intervention to “protect” them.

Soludo rejected the claim, insisting that the situation in the region has been misrepresented by external observers.

“There is a deeper conversation and introspection about what is happening in the country,” Soludo said. “In the South-East, it is not religious. People are killing themselves — Christians killing Christians. The people in the bushes are Emmanuel, Peter, and John — all Christian names — and they have maimed and killed thousands of our youths. It has nothing to do with religion.”

The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor explained that the South-East is almost entirely Christian, and both perpetrators and victims of violence share the same faith.

“In this part of the country, we are about 95 percent Christians, and those in the bushes committing these acts bear Christian names,” he added. “The crisis goes beyond any simplistic categorisation of Christians versus Muslims. Nigeria will overcome, and the solution will come through dialogue and understanding.”

Soludo further advised the U.S. government to ensure that its foreign policy positions align with international law and the realities on the ground.

“While the United States is entitled to its opinions, its actions must still be guided by international law,” he said.