The Federal Government of Nigeria has expelled American missionary Alex Barbir over comments it said could inflame tensions and deepen division and violence in parts of the country.
The development was confirmed by Abiodun Essiet, senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on community engagement (North Central), during an interview on TVC on Monday.
Mrs Essiet said the decision followed an assessment of Mr Barbir’s activities and public statements.“Yeah, so we’ve realised what Alex Barbir has done, so I must inform that Alex Barber is no longer in Nigeria,” she said.
“He has been, we can say, removed and sent out of the country because of the work he’s doing, which is creating division.”Essiet linked Barber’s remarks to immediate violence in Jos, stating that two Muslims were killed shortly after one of his speeches there.
“Immediately after he made his speech in Jos, a lot of people didn’t know that two people, two Muslims, were killed immediately after his speech,” she said.“Because of the impact of this provocative speech, which he has been making, he was sent out of the country and is no longer in Nigeria.”
She said the government acted to prevent further tension and avoid a repeat of past conflicts linked to divisive narratives.“That’s what the government has done, because we don’t want individuals to come and create division,” she added.
Barbir, a former American football player who founded the Building Zion initiative, had been active in conflict-affected areas of Benue and Plateau states.
He reportedly carried out projects through his initiative, Building Zion and a United States-based organisation, Equipping the Persecuted.He was involved in rebuilding houses, drilling boreholes and supporting communities affected by violence.
n Yelwata, a community in Benue State, Barbir said his team rebuilt homes after attacks in 2025.“So far, we have rebuilt 35 housing units,” he said during a project event.Some community members acknowledged the support and said the intervention helped families affected by the attacks.Barbir also spoke at public events and in media interviews about the situation in parts of Nigeria.
In one interview, he questioned official explanations of the crisis.“This is not just some random criminality… This is a war being waged on people,” he said.“If there’s no war in Nigeria, what is happening?” he added, while noting that both Christians and Muslims have been affected by violence in different states.
His comments drew reactions from different groups, with some critics saying his statements could increase tension by presenting the crisis in a way that may divide communities.Others called on authorities to look into his activities, while some raised concerns about his presence at locations where attacks occurred.
There is no public evidence linking him to any criminal activity.Supporters, however, said his work helped affected communities and brought attention to their situation.
Reacting to the expulsion announcement, Alex Barbir denied the claim that he had been deported.In a post on his Facebook page, he said the statement was not correct.“Let it be known that if Abiodun Essiet… made this statement, they are directly lying to the Nigerian and international community,” he said.“I’ve never heard of this person, nor had conversation with them.
In fact just spoke to US Embassy who denies such claim.“Any deportation of USA citizen must go through the embassy, of which none was made.”He maintained that his focus had been on highlighting the suffering of victims and rebuilding communities, not inciting violence.He added, “I stand for truth. As a Christian I have no choice.”
