American missionary Alex Barbir has been directed to leave Nigeria, according to former presidential media aide Bashir Ahmad. The claim was made in a tweet posted on Wednesday evening, in which Ahmad cited a reliable source for the information. He accused Barbir of inciting religious tensions during visits to communities in the North-Central region. Ahmad described the missionary as a "hate monger" and said his activities threatened national peace and unity. No official statement from Nigerian government agencies or the immigration service has been released to confirm the report. Barbir's name has previously surfaced in religious discourse, though specific details of his work in Nigeria remain limited. The allegations center on his conduct during religious engagements, which Ahmad claims were deliberately divisive. Nigeria maintains laws governing the conduct and deportation of foreign nationals who violate entry or security protocols.
\nBashir Ahmad's accusation against Alex Barbir hinges on unverified claims, yet it underscores how swiftly religious sensitivities can be inflamed by figures operating in Nigeria's faith spaces. If Barbir indeed engaged in provocative rhetoric, the swift administrative pushback would reflect a growing intolerance for foreign actors testing Nigeria's fragile interfaith balance. However, without official confirmation, the episode also reveals how social media has become a parallel channel for announcing state actions that may or may not have occurred. For Nigerians, the real concern lies in the ease with which religious narratives can be weaponized, whether by foreigners or locals.
