US President Donald Trump has raised alarm over what he described as an “existential threat” to Christianity in Nigeria, announcing that the country will be placed on the State Department’s watch list of nations facing severe religious persecution.
In a strongly worded post on Truth Social, Trump said the scale of violence against Christians in Nigeria demanded urgent attention from Washington.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” Trump wrote. “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.”
Trump Cites Disturbing Casualty Figures
The president cited disturbing figures showing that 3,100 Christians were killed in Nigeria, a significant share of the 4,476 Christian deaths reported globally. Calling the situation “unacceptable,” Trump urged Congress to act swiftly.
“When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria, something must be done,” he continued. “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.”
Trump emphasised that the US “cannot stand by” while such atrocities occur in Nigeria and elsewhere, signalling a renewed focus on global religious freedom and the protection of Christian minorities under his second term.
“We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world,” he concluded.
Nigeria’s Deep-Rooted Security Challenges
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with over 220 million people, is nearly evenly split between Christians and Muslims. The country has long grappled with security challenges, including brutal attacks by Boko Haram, an extremist group seeking to impose a radical form of Islamic law, as well as banditry, communal clashes, and separatist unrest.
According to the Associated Press, Nigeria’s violence stems from a mix of complex factors such as religious extremism, farmer–herder conflicts over dwindling land and water resources, ethnic rivalries, and regional separatist movements.
The State Department’s “Countries of Particular Concern” list highlights nations where there are systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. Nigeria was first added to the list in 2020 for such violations but was removed in 2023. Trump’s decision effectively reverses that move, setting the stage for renewed scrutiny of the country’s handling of religious violence.
