US: A New York Times report claims that the United States relied on information from Emeka Umeagbalasi, a screwdriver trader in Onitsha, Anambra State, to carry out air strikes in Nigeria.
In October, US President Donald Trump labeled Nigeria a country of particular concern following allegations of a Christian genocide. Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria.
Thousands of Christians are being killed, Trump said, attributing the violence to radical Islamist groups.
A month later, he warned that the US Department of War would act decisively to eliminate Islamic terrorists if the Nigerian government failed to curb the alleged genocide.
On December 26, the US launched air strikes on ISIS positions in north-western Sokoto State, reportedly at the request of Nigerian authorities.
Umeagbalasi, founder of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), operates the NGO from his home with his wife.
The New York Times described him as an unlikely source whose research has been cited by Republican lawmakers, including Riley Moore, Ted Cruz, and Chris Smith, to support claims of targeted attacks on Christians.
Umeagbalasi claims to have documented 125,000 Christian deaths since 2009 using Google searches, media reports, and advocacy group data, often inferring victims’ religion based on the location of attacks.
He acknowledged that he rarely verifies these figures in person.
A self-described criminologist, he claims that 20,000 out of 100,000 Nigerian churches have been destroyed over 16 years, though he cites Google as his source.
His work influenced the US strikes during the Christmas period, according to the report.
