Lagos, Nigeria – 16 October 2025
In a pointed open letter posted on social media platform X, former Texas mayor Mike Arnold has called on Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to urgently address claims of genocide and the displacement of millions within the country, warning that failure to act could lead to an “inglorious end” to his tenure.
Arnold, a Republican who previously served as mayor of Godley, Texas, and has conducted multiple fact-finding missions in Nigeria, praised Tinubu’s economic reforms but emphasised the need for a “pivot” towards justice and reconciliation. His message, directed at the president’s official X handle @officialABAT, comes amid heightened international scrutiny of Nigeria’s human rights record.
“We’ve never met. I’ve been on the front pages of Nigerian newspapers commending you for your economic reforms,” Arnold wrote. “I know you are very smart and shrewd, and I have a suggestion for you.”
He continued: “Nigeria will soon be under international scrutiny like never before in history. You can actually survive and emerge stronger as a result – but there is only ONE PATH. All others will end in infamy. No nation can build peace and prosperity on a foundation of genocide and displacement. Nigeria will only be as successful as you treat the least of these.”
Arnold urged Tinubu to “purge those in your ranks who have facilitated, profited from, and/or turned a blind eye to genocide and displacement,” adding that the president knows who they are. He called for an end to the killings, recognition of the displaced, and justice for those affected, noting that “the US and the World stand ready to help.”
“Failing to do this RIGHT NOW and your days of power will soon come to an inglorious end. I pray it doesn’t come to that,” he concluded, signing off with “utmost respect and hope.”
Arnold’s intervention follows his recent involvement in Nigeria’s ongoing debates over religious persecution and violence. According to reports, he has made 15 trips to the country since 2010, including six extended investigative missions since 2019, focusing on communities impacted by conflicts involving groups like Boko Haram. He has publicly clashed with Nigerian commentator Reno Omokri, who invited him to debunk claims of “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, only for Arnold to affirm elements of the allegations and accuse Omokri of dishonesty.
In a recent statement, Arnold admitted that Boko Haram had committed acts amounting to genocide but maintained that the Nigerian government was not directly sponsoring the group. However, he has criticised the government’s handling of the crisis, including the denial and neglect of internally displaced persons (IDPs) for over a decade.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced persistent security challenges, including insurgency in the northeast, banditry in the northwest, and farmer-herder clashes in the central regions. These conflicts have displaced an estimated 3.2 million people, according to United Nations figures, with many living in dire conditions in camps. International figures, such as US Senator Ted Cruz, have previously labelled the violence as “genocide” against Christians, a claim disputed by some Nigerian officials and commentators.
President Tinubu, who assumed office in May 2023, has implemented bold economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and currency devaluation, aimed at stabilising the economy. These measures have drawn both praise and criticism, with Arnold among those commending them in Nigerian media. Yet, human rights advocates argue that sustainable progress requires addressing underlying issues of violence and inequality.
The presidency has not yet responded publicly to Arnold’s letter.
He’s an idiot. That’s all.