A member of the Florida House of Representatives, Kimberly Daniels, has levelled serious allegations against Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, accusing him of attempting to bribe a United States lawmaker in a bid to counter reports of widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria.
Daniels, who also claims to chair the United World Congress of Diplomats, made the accusation during a live social media broadcast. She said she felt compelled to speak publicly after what she described as sustained pressure following the release of a controversial report by her organisation.
According to Daniels, the dispute stems from a report and accompanying press statement issued by her group, which characterised violence in parts of Nigeria—particularly in the northern regions—as “genocide against Christians.” The claim reflects a narrative that has circulated in some international advocacy circles but remains highly contested by analysts and Nigerian authorities, who argue that the country’s insecurity is far more complex.
In her broadcast, Daniels alleged that after the report gained attention, Matawalle sought to influence an unnamed American state legislator by offering financial inducement in exchange for publicly discrediting her findings.
“A US elected official was offered money by Nigeria’s minister of state for defence, Bello Matawalle, to change the narrative of the UN-WCD Christian genocide in Nigeria report,” she claimed.
She further asserted that the minister was willing to provide “any amount” to secure cooperation, adding that her organisation had obtained what she described as proof of communications and supporting materials linked to the alleged attempt. However, Daniels did not present the purported evidence during the broadcast, stating only that it had been verified prior to her decision to go public.
She also claimed that promotional materials, including a flyer and a formal letter allegedly originating from the Nigerian minister, were circulated in an effort to portray him favourably while dismissing the genocide allegations as inaccurate or misleading.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian government has not issued an official response to the bribery claims. However, authorities have consistently rejected assertions that violence in Nigeria is driven primarily by religious persecution. Government officials have repeatedly emphasised that the country’s security challenges stem from a combination of factors, including insurgency, banditry, communal clashes, and competition over land and resources.
Nigeria has grappled with years of instability, particularly in its northern and central regions, where armed groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province have carried out attacks. In addition, widespread banditry and farmer-herder conflicts have contributed to persistent violence. Experts have cautioned against framing the crisis solely through a religious lens, noting that such interpretations risk oversimplifying a multifaceted problem.
Despite these counterarguments, Daniels maintained her position, insisting that her organisation’s findings were based on what she described as “ground-level investigations” conducted across several countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.
She disclosed that the report had been forwarded to prominent U.S. officials, including Marco Rubio, with a call for further scrutiny and possible international intervention.
At the same time, Daniels acknowledged that her bribery allegations against Matawalle remain unproven and called for an independent investigation to establish the facts.
“I am not here to fight Nigeria or its government,” she said during the broadcast. “All I want is for these allegations to be investigated and for the killings to stop.”
In an earlier assessment released on April 14, 2026, Daniels accused elements within Nigeria’s security architecture of allegedly enabling attacks on Christian communities, particularly in the North-Central and North-West regions. The report was published in the aftermath of a wave of deadly incidents that coincided with Easter celebrations.
According to the document, worshippers were allegedly targeted during church services on both Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday in states such as Plateau, Kaduna, and Nasarawa. Daniels argued that the timing and pattern of the attacks suggested a deliberate strategy rather than isolated or random acts of violence.
“What we are seeing is a brutal surge in violence that specifically targets religious congregations during their most sacred moments of worship,” she stated.
The report relied heavily on testimonies from local residents and survivors, many of whom described living in fear amid recurring attacks. Some expressed frustration over what they perceived as inadequate protection from security forces, highlighting a gap between official statements and the realities on the ground.
One account cited in the report captured this sentiment starkly: “We hear statements from Abuja, but here, we bury our loved ones almost every week. There is no protection.”
Nevertheless, analysts continue to stress that Nigeria’s security crisis cannot be reduced to a single narrative. While acknowledging that religious identity can play a role in certain conflicts, they argue that broader structural issues—such as weak governance, economic inequality, and environmental pressures—are equally significant drivers of violence.
The allegations by Daniels, combined with the absence of publicly available evidence and the lack of an official response from Nigerian authorities, leave the matter unresolved. However, the claims have the potential to heighten diplomatic tensions and draw increased international attention to Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges.
As calls grow for transparency and accountability, both the bribery allegations and the broader claims of targeted violence are likely to remain under scrutiny in the coming weeks.
