By YUSHAU A. SHUAIB

Apart from his habitual fixation on Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Reno Omokri has built a reputation as one of Nigeria?s most consistent social media commentators. He knows how to craft convincing messages and attract attention, whether on politics, religion, economy or governance.

A master of political reinvention, Omokri has remained a constant figure in Nigeria?s public discourse?moving fluidly from the Jonathan era, where he served as an aide, to becoming one of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?s most vocal supporters, despite his previously scathing remarks about him.

When U.S. Senator Ted Cruz alleged a genocide against Nigerian Christians, Omokri didn?t just dispute the claims?he invited a group of Americans to Nigeria, presumably to help counter the narrative. But the visit backfired, sparking embarrassment and a sense of betrayal. It underscored a key lesson in public relations: the risks of outsourcing sensitive security narratives to foreigners under the guise of ?fact-finding.?

At a press conference in Abuja, one of the supposedly hired factfinders, Mike Arnold, a former mayor of Blanco, Texas, stunned observers by accusing the government of enabling genocide against Nigerian Christians. Citing what he called five years of research, Arnold claimed the violence met the United Nations? legal definition of genocide, alleging mass displacement, targeted killings, and official denial.

Omokri immediately rejected this as ?a false and dangerous misrepresentation,? challenging Arnold and Senator Cruz to name any Nigerian officials complicit in terrorism. He rightly pointed to the Global Terrorism Index, which shows a significant drop in terror-related deaths.

The controversy only deepened when Arnold, in a subsequent interview, called Omokri ?a pathological liar.? He alleged that Omokri had invited him, paid for his trip, and arranged high-profile meetings in a bid to whitewash the government?s image. He further accused the Nigerian government of bulldozing IDP camps, suppressing witnesses, and called for International Criminal Court trials for President Tinubu and other officials.

One wonders whether Omokri conducted any due diligence on these so-called factfinders before inviting them to the country. In public relations, especially when dealing with third-party endorsers, credibility and alignment are paramount. For any professional communicator, this episode is a case study in what not to do. It exposes the perils of outsourcing national security communication to unverified foreign voices?especially in a world where lobbyists, propagandists, and self-styled activists can easily distort narratives for attention or funding.

Foreign interference in domestic affairs is not new. We saw how Western-backed propaganda paved the way for regime change and chaos in countries like Iraq, Libya and Syria.

Nigeria has not been immune. During President Goodluck Jonathan?s administration, foreign-funded campaigns amplified false claims, prompting the United States to block arms sales to Nigeria. As a result, the government was compelled to source weapons through alternative channels and enlist military contractors to fight terrorists. Among the distorted narratives were the so-called ?Baga Genocide? and the manipulated accounts surrounding the Chibok Girls, which contributed to the defeat of the government in the 2015 election.

In Omokri?s case, his invited ?fact-finders? not only turned against him but also tarnished Nigeria?s image by framing its complex security challenges as a simplistic religious war. Most egregiously, Arnold alleged that Army commanders had ordered troops to kill Christians in churches.

Yet while Arnold paints a picture of Christian persecution, he conveniently ignores the composition of Nigeria?s current security leadership. Despite the Muslim-Muslim ticket?where both the president and vice president share the same faith?Christians overwhelmingly lead the nation?s security architecture. The Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of the DSS, and Chairman of the EFCC, among others, are all practising Christians. These individuals, not figureheads, hold the most powerful operational roles in Nigeria?s defence, intelligence, and law enforcement institutions. Are we truly to believe that they are complicit in a genocide against their own faith?

The truth is that terrorism in Nigeria is blind to religion. In the North-East, Muslim clerics have been assassinated, mosques destroyed, and thousands of Muslims kidnapped or killed by the same insurgents. In the North-West, bandits have razed entire Muslim communities.

Nigeria?s conflict is not a religious war but a complex web of criminality, poverty, weak governance, and geopolitical exploitation. Framing it as ?Christian persecution? is not only false but dangerously divisive. The silence of conservative Northern Muslims in the media?where they lack influence?should not be mistaken for immunity from persecution.

Recent rumours of an attempted military coup exacerbate these tensions. Though the Defence Headquarters swiftly dismissed the reports as ?false and spurious,? their very circulation reveals the fragility of public trust. The arrest of 16 military officers for ?professional misconduct? was quickly seized upon by rumour-mongers as proof of a plot, especially given the coincidental cancellation of Nigeria?s Independence Day parade.

This climate of suspicion must be handled with responsibility and transparency to guard against manipulation by foreign actors seeking their next target for destabilisation. Nigeria must not become another casualty of reckless interference or external misadventure, as seen in crisis-ridden Sudan and other volatile nations in the subregion.

If foreign propaganda and rumours are part of a broader regime change agenda, its architects may need to rethink their strategy. Rather than weakening the government, such tactics have often generated sympathy and solidarity. Meanwhile, Nigeria?s political landscape is shifting rapidly. Opposition strongholds are defecting to the ruling party, and opportunistic politicians are switching sides. With the political arithmetic already clear, the 2027 election is shaping up to be predictable?only the most optimistic dreamer would expect a miraculous upset.

Rather than wasting energy and resources on futile pursuits, opposition figures?both at home and abroad?should prioritise rebuilding credibility and preparing for 2031. Given the current realities, this approach could help avert political turmoil more severe than the unrest of 2011, or even the risk of civil conflict

Meanwhile, Reno Omokri?s debacle with his American ?factfinders? should be a wake-up call. Nigeria?s image, particularly on security issues, must never be outsourced to foreign lobbyists. True advocacy begins with local credibility, verified data, and balanced storytelling. Nigeria?s story must be told by Nigerians?truthfully, strategically, and with dignity.

Because in the battle for narratives, outsourced patriotism is no patriotism at all. Now more than ever, the nation needs unity, clarity, and confidence in its own voice. Allowing foreign mercenaries of perception to dominate our discourse can be terribly catastrophic.

?Yushau A. Shuaib is the author of An Encounter with the Spymaster and Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies. yashuaib@yashuaib.com

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