Dare Babalola
United States President Donald Trump has redesignated Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ in response to allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.
Trump announced his decision in a Truth Social post on Friday.
He wrote, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN’ — But that is the least of it.
“When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done! 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.
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the world!”
Earlier, Nigeria’s foreign minister rejected accusations by US lawmakers that the government is facilitating violent attacks against Christians, arguing that resource-based tensions in some communities have been distorted to suit narratives of religious persecution by interest groups.
The Nigerian government has come under fire from lawmakers in the US and the European Parliament in recent weeks following reports of conflict in which majority-Christian communities in Nigeria’s central region appear to have been attacked.
US Senator Ted Cruz accused Nigerian officials of “ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists,” pledging to hold them accountable through a religious freedom bill he introduced to Congress in September.
US Congressmen Riley Moore and Chris Smith have called for Nigeria to be redesignated a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over religious repression, and even comedian Bill Maher has weighed in, falsely alleging a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.
Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s foreign minister since 2023, said the comments were the latest of several efforts over the years by “certain groups, including opposition groups within Nigeria” to place the nation on the US’ annual CPC list based on false premises of religious persecution. “Lobby groups and even comedians — and they are comedians, we must not forget — are revving up these sentiments,” he said.
