Stop The Killing Of Nigerians Or Risk Violent Breakup – Ex US Envoy Warns Tinubu

Former United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback has issued a blunt warning to the Bola Tinubu government. Nigeria risks a violent breakup if authorities fail to stop the relentless killings tearing through communities, he said. Brownback delivered the message in a speech now circulating widely in a viral video. He described the situation as having reached a dangerous “breaking point,” especially for Christian communities.

“Nigeria has become deadly, if not the most deadly place on the planet to be a Christian,” Brownback declared. He stressed that the current trend cannot continue without catastrophic results. “Breaking point, stop the killings now or face a split of the country,” he added. The former envoy spoke with caution but insisted the warning reflects hard reality.

Brownback explained that prolonged inaction by Nigerian authorities could spark broader bloodshed. He warned that both Christian and moderate Muslim communities under attack would suffer most if the government does not intervene urgently. “If they don’t get on top of it and start protecting their people… this is going to lead to broader bloodshed throughout Nigeria and probably a splitting up of the country,” he said.

NaijaChoice News reports that Brownback’s remarks come as fresh data paints a grim security picture. In February 2026 alone, at least 624 Nigerians lost their lives while 419 others were abducted in just 28 days. The figures come from the HumAngle security tracker compiled by the organisation’s Research and Data Department. SaharaReporters first obtained and published the report.

The tracker recorded 136 insecurity incidents nationwide, a marginal 3.5 percent drop from January. Yet fatalities jumped nearly 30 percent, from 481 deaths the previous month. Terror-related attacks and organised armed violence made up more than half of the cases. Attacks on civilians accounted for the bulk of the violence, claiming 512 lives across 86 incidents.

North-West and North-Central zones remained the worst hit. Zamfara led states with 19 incidents and 149 deaths. Kwara recorded the highest single-state death toll at 174, mostly from one major terror attack. Benue, Borno and Kebbi also saw heavy losses. Southern regions recorded far fewer incidents and deaths, but none escaped the national wave of violence.

Kidnappings surged across 13 states, with Zamfara alone logging 11 separate cases. Other affected states included Sokoto, Kaduna, Benue, Niger and Kwara. The report noted that states like Kano and Jigawa recorded zero insecurity fatalities in February, offering rare pockets of relative calm.

Brownback’s intervention has stirred fresh debate on social media and among security watchers. Many Nigerians see it as an echo of long-standing local concerns about banditry, insurgency and herder-farmer clashes that have defied successive governments. The former envoy’s call adds to growing international scrutiny of the country’s security crisis under the current administration.

As the Tinubu government continues its security operations, Brownback’s message is clear: urgent, decisive action is needed to protect lives and preserve national unity. Failure to act, he warned, could push Nigeria toward an outcome no one wants to contemplate.