A former presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adamu Garba, has admitted that the country is facing what he described as a “genocidal onslaught” against Christians and other defenseless citizens.

Garba, who spoke during an interview on Trust TV, was reacting to the recent decision of U.S. President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over the persecution of Christians.

Defending Trump’s stance and possible intervention, Garba recalled that the APC, while in opposition in 2014, had approached the White House to seek military assistance over the same issue of mass killings, particularly in the aftermath of the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.

“When you look at the damage and the number of people that have been killed over the years — defenseless, in their homes and villages — what else can you call it? It is pure genocide,” he said.

He explained that the United Nations convention on counter-terrorism empowers the United States to act globally against terrorism, under a framework known as the “Responsibility to Protect,” often referred to as R2P.

“In 2014, the APC as an opposition party went to the White House seeking help on the same Christian genocide following the Chibok girls’ incident,” he said. “Under the UN’s counter-terrorism convention, the U.S. has the mandate to intervene where terrorism is defined. They call it the Responsibility to Protect — R2P.”

Garba’s comments come amid growing global debate over the U.S. government’s renewed interest in Nigeria’s security challenges and alleged religious persecution.