A former Mayor of Blanco in Texas, United States, Mike Arnold, has issued a strong challenge to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, asking him to show proof that he is not connected to what he described as the systematic killing of Christians in Nigeria.
Arnold, who is also the founder of Africa Arise International, made the claims in a series of posts on his verified X handle on Friday, sparking serious outrage and debate among Nigerians online.
The American politician said his accusations were in response to the Sultan’s recent dismissal of claims that Christians in the northern region are facing religious genocide.
The Sultan had earlier stated that such allegations were false and capable of inciting division among citizens.
Speaking during the General Assembly of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council in Birnin Kebbi earlier in the week, the respected monarch insisted:
“From time immemorial, Christians and Muslims have lived as brothers in the North. These allegations are false and are merely aimed at sowing discord among the inseparable faithful.”
But in his fiery reaction, Arnold wrote:
“I challenge the Sultan of Sokoto to prove he’s not the architect of this genocide.”
He also made further unverified allegations linking the Sultan to extremist groups, claiming he once served the Taliban in Afghanistan and used that connection to bring militants to Nigeria.
“I challenge the Sultan to prove that he did not, while serving the Taliban in Afghanistan, connect with and recruit AlQaida and other international terrorist groups to Nigeria — where he has provided them safe haven, vast resources, and unlimited Christian blood to feed their bloodlust,” he said.
Arnold also alleged financial gains from what he termed “blood minerals looted from under the killing fields,” accusing the monarch of colluding with the Nigerian government and preparing for an international criminal trial.
His comments have sparked mixed reactions, with some describing his claims as reckless and inciting, while others demanded an independent investigation to ascertain the validity of the accusations.
Some commentators online warned that such public claims, if not verified, could worsen Nigeria’s fragile religious harmony.
The Sultan’s camp has not yet issued a formal response to Arnold’s challenge as of the time of filing this report.
However, it could be recalled that the issue of alleged “Christian genocide” in Nigeria recently gained major international traction when Ted Cruz, a U.S. Senator, publicly asserted that more than “50,000 Christians have been killed since 2009” in Nigeria, along with thousands of churches and Christian schools destroyed.
His push included the introduction of the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, which sought to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious freedom abuses.
The Nigerian government strongly rejected these claims, stating that the violence is complex and affects both Christians and Muslims, and that framing it as a genocide against Christians alone is misleading.
