Washington DC [US]: US President Donald Trump has designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” alleging that Christianity is facing an “existential threat” due to ongoing violence between Muslim and Christian communities.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, blamed “radical Islamists” for widespread attacks on Christians in Nigeria and directed US lawmakers Riley Moore and Tom Cole to investigate the situation.
“Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote, calling the situation a humanitarian crisis that demands immediate action. He urged the House Appropriations Committee to submit a report on the issue.
Trump further stated that the United States “cannot stand by” while such atrocities occur, pledging support for persecuted Christians worldwide.
The remarks come amid growing international concern over religiously motivated violence in Nigeria. In June, more than 20 people were reportedly killed in a militant assault on the home village of a Nigerian bishop, days after he testified before the US Congress about Christian persecution.
According to rights group Open Doors, nearly 70 percent of Christians killed for their faith globally last year were from Nigeria, with groups like Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani militias blamed for much of the bloodshed.
Mark Walker, Trump’s ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom, told Fox News that the Nigerian government must do more to stop the killings, estimating that between 4,000 and 8,000 Christians are murdered annually.
“This isn’t about politics — it’s about human life,” Walker said. “Women and children are being kidnapped, communities destroyed. The world must raise its voice.”
Walker added that he plans to collaborate with Senator Marco Rubio to strengthen US efforts on religious freedom issues.
Meanwhile, Nigerian officials have rejected claims of systemic targeting of Christians. Information Minister Mohammed Idris told Fox News that reports of mass persecution are “misleading,” denying allegations that tens of thousands have been killed.
US Senator Ted Cruz, however, described the situation as “a crisis of religious genocide,” citing estimates that more than 50,000 Christians and over 20,000 churches and schools have been destroyed since 2009.
The White House and international leaders, including the Vatican, have expressed concern that jihadist violence in Nigeria could destabilize the wider sub-Saharan region.
