President Donald Trump has designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” describing the widespread killings of Christians in the country as “genocide.”
In a statement posted on Truth Social on Friday, Trump said Christianity is facing “an existential threat” in Nigeria, alleging that radical Islamist groups are behind the mass killings, church burnings, and forced displacements affecting Christian communities.
“Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote. “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.”
Trump added that he has directed Representatives Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.), along with members of the House Appropriations Committee, to investigate the crisis and report back their findings.
Rights groups have repeatedly warned about escalating religious violence in Nigeria’s northern and central regions, where Islamist groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and armed Fulani herders frequently attack Christian communities. According to Open Doors, nearly 70 percent of Christians killed globally for their faith last year were in Nigeria.
Entire villages have been destroyed, churches burned, and worshippers attacked during services. In June, militants invaded the village of a bishop shortly after he testified before Congress, killing more than twenty people.
Mark Walker, President Trump’s nominee for ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, told Fox News Digital that between 4,000 and 8,000 Christians are killed each year in Nigeria.
“This isn’t about appropriations or politics — this is about human life,” Walker said. “We’re talking about boys and girls, about women being kidnapped and horrific things happening. All of us should raise our voices.”
Walker said he intends to work closely with Senator Marco Rubio and the US Secretary of State to strengthen America’s advocacy for victims of religious persecution.
The White House also acknowledged an increase in anti-Christian violence across sub-Saharan Africa, warning that jihadist movements are taking advantage of instability and porous borders to expand their operations.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) noted that “since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred, and over 20,000 churches and Christian schools have been destroyed,” calling the situation “a crisis of religious genocide” and urging the US government to take tougher action.
However, Nigerian officials have rejected claims of religious genocide. Information Minister Mohammed Idris told Fox News Digital that such reports are “very misleading,” insisting that both Christians and Muslims have suffered from the violence. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga echoed this view, saying, “Christians are not targeted. We have religious harmony in our country.”
Despite these denials, the killings persist. A priest from Plateau State told reporters that many rural Christian communities continue to live in fear, saying, “When the world stays silent, the killers return.”
