THE REAL REASON WHY THEY ARE AGAINST CPC DESIGNATION

Barr. John Apollos Maton

I woke up to very good news! The month started on a joyous note for me! Trump redesignates Nigeria as Country of Particular Concern (“CPC”) over the killing of Christians in Nigeria.

However, almost as fast and as desperately, there have been so many people making statements against this and trying to make it look like the USA has some ulterior motive for doing this. They forgot that it was Buhari and Tinubu who, during the Jonathan administration, first raised these issues up with the American government! For their supporters and propagandists to have a total 360, then try to make it sound like a bad thing, is the height of hypocrisy and dishonesty.

The truth about their disagreement on this that many will not tell you is that the opposition to the so-called “CPC” labelling is not really about the designation itself—it is about fear. The fear is that once these international measures are enforced, they will expose the deep, hidden network of terror financiers and political enablers operating within Nigeria’s Fulani and Muslim elite class. These are not ordinary citizens; they are individuals who have long benefited from the chaos—funding, protecting, or turning a blind eye to the slaughter of innocent Nigerians, particularly Christians and Indigenous communities.

The United States and even Dubai reportedly have intelligence tracing the financial flows, communications, and logistical support of these groups. Once these findings are made public, many powerful figures who have been manipulating Nigeria’s security, politics, and economy will find themselves cornered. That is why the noise is loud—the guilty are afraid, not of injustice, but of exposure.

The implications of the CPC designation are profound. Under such measures, international law allows the freezing and seizure of assets belonging to those identified as sponsors or facilitators of terrorism. These individuals and their families would face travel restrictions, blacklisting from financial systems, and even arrest or prosecution if they step outside Nigeria’s borders.

For once, impunity would meet accountability—not through the compromised local system, but through global mechanisms that transcend political manipulation. It is a potential turning point, one that could disrupt the financial lifelines sustaining terrorism and finally weaken the networks that have terrorized rural communities, burned churches, and displaced millions. The outrage against the CPC, therefore, is not about sovereignty or fairness—it is about fear of losing power, wealth, and protection.

And so, my question cuts to the heart of the matter:

“How does any of this negatively affect the average Christian, whose life has already been shattered by these same terrorists?”

Who are the consequences of the designation going to affect?

Our people’s homes have already been burnt down!

Our people are already in IDP camps!

Fulani immigrants have already settled on our ancestral lands!

Our mothers, sisters, and daughters are raped daily!

Our people have been massacred and their blood soaks the land!

Which other consequence of the CPC designation can we be threatened with or suffer that will be worse than what the Fulani, those who support them and their modern-day colonialism, clothed as “jihad,” have already done?

In reality, there does not appear to be a negative impact on those who have already suffered. On the contrary, it may help bring long-awaited justice. Christians and Indigenous people, as primary victims of systemic violence, might benefit from measures that address those alleged to support their suffering. Efforts such as seizing assets, restricting movement, and exposing enablers could help dismantle sources of violence. These actions would aim to protect the innocent and hold those responsible accountable. For most Nigerians who wish for peace, this move could represent hope for a more just future.

I am tempted to think that all those who passionately speak against this US policy are trying to protect their Bosses who are involved in the sponsorship of this genocide against Christians and Indigenes of Nigeria.

Maton is a Jos-based legal practitioner.

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