Genocide: Restrain Trump, give us strategic support- Nigerian professionals in Europe urge EU
Nigerian Professionals in the diaspora, have appealed to the European Union, EU, to restrain US President, Donald Trump from taking any adverse action following his recent threats of military action against terrorists and his decision to designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern” over alleged religious persecution.
In a statement issued from Paris on Thursday, the association urged the EU to adopt a balanced diplomatic posture and to strengthen its partnership with Nigeria through strategic support in the fight against terrorism, banditry, and other forms of insecurity.
The group under the auspices of the Association of Nigerian Professionals in Europe, ANPE, described Trump’s remarks as “provocative and dangerous,” warning that such rhetoric could inflame tensions, embolden extremist groups, and undermine the steady progress Nigeria has made in counter terrorism and economic reform.
A statement signed by Dr Livinus Chukwuemeka Nwosu, ANPE President, and Mrs Aisha Bello, a security expert and secretary of the group, urged European leaders to “act with wisdom and restraint” by discouraging any unilateral US action that could destabilise the West African region.
“We call on the European Union, as a global voice of balance and diplomacy, to restrain President Trump from any hostile action or policy escalation against Nigeria. Our country needs constructive engagement, not coercion. The international community should be supporting Nigeria’s security and democratic consolidation, not threatening it,” the statement reads.
The association emphasised that Nigeria’s religious diversity has long been a source of cultural richness, not division, and that framing the country’s security challenges as religious persecution was both misleading and counterproductive.
According to ANPE, terrorism, insurgency, and banditry in Nigeria have affected Muslims and Christians alike, particularly in the country’s northern and central regions.
“The lives of every Nigerian, regardless of faith or ethnicity, are sacred. We reject any narrative that weaponises religion to justify foreign hostility or intervention,” the statement added.
The group urged the EU to back Nigeria’s ongoing counter terrorism campaign through arms supply, intelligence sharing, and joint training programmes that would help strengthen local security institutions.
ANPE said such cooperation should be guided by mutual respect and a shared commitment to peace, while avoiding any direct interference in Nigeria’s domestic affairs.
It further described Trump’s recent designation and threats as an “unhelpful distraction” that risks reversing hard-won gains in regional peacebuilding and counterinsurgency, noting that Nigeria has been working closely with its neighbours, including Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, to suppress terrorism across the Lake Chad Basin, while maintaining robust diplomatic relations with Western allies.
“We have a duty to defend our sovereignty and dignity. President Tinubu’s government is building institutions that can protect citizens and restore lasting peace,” the group added.
“Europe has always been a trusted partner to Nigeria. We are confident that the EU’s leadership will help ensure that diplomacy, not division, guides the global response to Nigeria’s internal challenges. Together, we can defeat terrorism and preserve peace but only through respect, dialogue, and partnership,” the association said.
