The United States reportedly relied on information provided by Emeka Umeagbalasi, a screwdriver trader from Onitsha, Anambra State, to justify air strikes in Nigeria, according to a New York Times report.
Umeagbalasi, who also runs a civil society organisation called the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has become a controversial source for U.S. politicians, including Senator Ted Cruz. He has promoted claims that Christians in Nigeria are being deliberately targeted for “genocide.”
In October, former U.S. President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” in response to allegations of attacks on Christians. A month later, he warned that the U.S. Department of Defense would intervene militarily if the Nigerian government did not act to stop the violence. On December 26, U.S. forces launched air strikes on ISIS targets in northwestern Sokoto State “at the request of Nigerian authorities,” according to reports.
The New York Times describes Umeagbalasi as an unlikely expert whose research has influenced U.S. lawmakers. Operating his NGO from home alongside his wife, Umeagbalasi claims to have documented 125,000 Christian deaths in Nigeria since 2009. His methodology relies on news reports, online searches, and data from advocacy groups such as Open Doors, though he rarely verifies the information directly or visits the regions affected.
Umeagbalasi told the New York Times that he generally assumes victims are Christian based on the location of attacks. “If a mass abduction or killing happens in an area where I think many Christians live, I assume the victims are Christians,” he said.
He holds degrees in security studies and peace and conflict resolution from the National Open University of Nigeria and describes himself as a “powerful” and “knowledgeable” investigator. Umeagbalasi has claimed that roughly 100,000 churches exist in Nigeria, with about 20,000 destroyed over the past 16 years—figures he admits were largely obtained through online searches.
The U.S. lawmakers who have cited his work include Senator Ted Cruz, Representative Riley Moore, and Representative Chris Smith. Relying on these sources, the Trump administration carried out strikes against extremist groups in Nigeria during the holiday season.
Critics, however, have questioned the reliability of Umeagbalasi’s data. Alkasim Abdulkadir, a spokesman for Nigeria’s foreign minister, called his research “performative” and said it contains significant confirmation bias. Independent monitoring groups note that violence in Nigeria affects both Christian and Muslim communities, and official data on victims’ religious affiliations is largely unavailable.
Despite the criticism, Umeagbalasi continues to produce reports and maintains that Christians are under systematic threat. He is currently preparing a new report titled, “The Situation of Christians in Nigeria Fueled by Jihadist Terrorism Inches a Point of No Return.”
