The United States President, Donald Trump, has reiterated his claims that Christians in Nigeria are being subjected to mass killings, describing the situation as an “existential threat” to Christianity in the country.
Trump made the remarks in a video released by the White House on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, alleging that “radical Islamists” were behind what he termed a “mass slaughter” of Christians in Nigeria.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump said.
He further announced that Nigeria had been designated a “country of particular concern,” citing a legal definition under U.S. law for countries allegedly violating religious freedoms.
“I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern. That’s a legal definition,” Trump stated, adding that “when Christians or any group is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria, something must be done immediately.”
Calling for urgent congressional action, Trump urged U.S. lawmakers to investigate the situation and propose interventions.
“I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me. And I mean immediately,” he added.
Trump maintained that the U.S. could not remain silent in the face of such alleged atrocities, emphasizing that his country “stands ready, willing, and able to protect Christians globally.”
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and other countries. The killing of Christians is not going to happen,” he said.
Trump had previously threatened to deploy the U.S. Department of War to Nigeria if what he described as “Christian genocide” was not stopped.
Earlier reports indicated that Trump had classified Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” under U.S. law, a designation typically issued by the Secretary of State in response to human rights violations or restrictions on religious freedom.
According to the Family Research Council (2022), the classification serves as an official signal that a country is engaging in acts the U.S. considers harmful to universal freedoms or contrary to its national interests.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has consistently maintained that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy that protects the rights and freedoms of all citizens, regardless of faith.
In a statement issued on November 1, President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed that Nigeria “stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.”
Tinubu said his administration had been engaging both Christian and Muslim leaders in efforts to address security challenges across the country.
“The portrayal of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality. Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” the president stated.