The President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government has confirmed the expulsion of an American missionary, Alex Barber, accusing him of making inflammatory statements capable of inciting violence and deepening divisions, particularly in Plateau State.

Abiodun Essiet, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement (North Central), disclosed this during an interview with TVC on Monday, stating that Barber’s activities posed a serious threat to national unity.

“Yeah, so we’ve realised what Alex Barber has done, so I must inform 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.”

She alleged that Barber’s remarks had immediate consequences, linking his speech in Jos to violence that followed shortly after.

“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,” she said. “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.”

Essiet emphasised that the government acted to prevent a repeat of historical tragedies fueled by divisive rhetoric.

“That’s what the government has done, because we don’t want individuals to come and create division,” she said. “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.”

Drawing parallels with the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Essiet warned against allowing similar narratives to take root in Nigeria.

“Based on our experience, we don’t want Nigeria to follow that path, because it’s not going to be helpful to anyone,” she added. “We must not allow people who do not understand the history of our crises to divide us.”

She stressed the importance of unity and collective responsibility in addressing the country’s security challenges.

“In Nigeria, it is better when we are united. Nigeria is better when we work together,” Essiet said. “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.”

The presidential aide also acknowledged the complexity of the Plateau crisis, noting that underlying factors go beyond what is often publicly reported.

“I know there was someone who documented foreign reporting in Plateau State for over 20 years,” she said. “Beyond what people are seeing, there are other critical root causes which need to be addressed, with all stakeholders coming together.”

She called for stronger security measures, including decisive military action against armed groups.

“Most importantly, we need a kinetic approach, because some of the people attacking our innocent citizens are bandits and terrorists, and they need to be dealt with,” Essiet said. “We need the support of our security agencies in ensuring that our borders are protected, so that we do not have an influx of terrorists coming into our communities.”

Appealing for public trust in President Tinubu’s leadership, she reiterated the administration’s commitment to restoring peace in Plateau State.

“It is an appeal to our community to trust Mr President,” she said. “Like he said, he will not come back to pay any condolence visit again, because he is committed to ensuring that there is a new channel to achieve lasting and sustained peace in Plateau State.”

The development comes amid heightened international attention on insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, recently warned that continued attacks in Plateau State could strain diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the United States. In a post on X, Moore condemned the reported killing of Christians in Jos during Palm Sunday, describing it as part of a troubling pattern.

“This Palm Sunday, reports from Nigeria indicate that at least 10 Christians were martyred in the city of Jos,” Moore said. “This is sickening and unacceptable.”

He further alleged a recurring trend of attacks on Christians during religious observances and called on Nigerian authorities to step up security efforts ahead of Easter.

“If they don’t take this threat seriously… there will be significant consequences for Nigeria’s relationship with the United States,” Moore warned.

Barber had earlier claimed in a viral video that recent killings in Jos amounted to “genocide against Christians,” urging the Tinubu administration to take urgent action.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials have confirmed ongoing security cooperation with Nigeria, including the deployment of MQ-9 Reaper drones and about 200 military personnel to provide intelligence and training support in counterterrorism operations.

A U.S. defence official described the effort as collaborative, stating, “We see this as a shared security threat,” while emphasising that American forces are not involved in direct combat operations.