The federal government on Monday, April 6, confirmed that United States (U.S) missionary Alex Barber was expelled from Nigeria over statements that could inflame tensions and deepen division and violence, particularly in Plateau state.
The decision follows growing controversy surrounding his activities in Nigeria’s north-central region, where authorities claim his comments were capable of inciting unrest.
Abiodun Essiet, senior special assistant to the president on community engagement (north central), said that Barber’s actions posed a serious threat to national unity.
“Yeah, so we’ve realised what Alex Barber has done, so I must inform you that Alex Barber is no longer in Nigeria,” Essiet said.
“He has been, we can say, removed and sent out of the country because of the work he’s doing, which is creating division.”
Essiet linked a speech Barber gave in Jos to immediate violence, saying:
“Immediately after he made his speech in Jos, a lot of people didn’t know that two people, two Muslims, were killed immediately after his speech. Because of the impact of this provocative speech, which he has been making, he was sent out of the country and is no longer in Nigeria.”
She explained the government acted to prevent rhetoric that could trigger large-scale conflict:
“That’s what the government has done, because we don’t want individuals to come and create division. I’ve been to Rwanda a couple of times; I’ve been to the Rwandan Genocide Memorial. As simple as this whole narrative of what Alex Barber was saying is what some foreign actors did in Rwanda, creating a rift between the Hutus and the Tutsis, and that led to a massive genocide.”
“Based on our experience, we don’t want Nigeria to follow that path, because it’s not going to be helpful to anyone. We must not allow people who do not understand the history of our crises to divide us.”
“In Nigeria, it is better when we are united. Nigeria is better when we work together. It is very important not to allow people to come and divide us. Let’s call a spade a spade and address issues with honesty and truth.”
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