Radical violence poses existential threat to Nigerian Christians, says Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again claimed that Christians in Nigeria are being subjected to large-scale killings, describing the situation as an existential threat to Christianity in the country.

In a video posted on the White House’s X account on Wednesday, Trump stated that “thousands and thousands” of Christians are being killed, attributing the violence to “radical Islamists” and referring to the attacks as a “mass slaughter.”

He said, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.”

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In the clip, Trump announced that he was classifying Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” adding that the designation was based on a legal standard.

“I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern. That’s a legal definition.

“When the Christians or any such group is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria, 3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide,” he said.

Calling for urgent action, Trump said the statistics were horrific and demanded immediate congressional response.

“What horrible numbers. Something has to 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 to report back to me. And I mean like immediately,” he added.

Trump said the United States cannot stand by while such incidents take place, saying the killing of Christians will not be allowed.

“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. This is not going to happen. The killing of Christians is not going to happen,” he stated.

He had earlier threatened to deploy US Department of War to Nigeria if what he described as Christian genocide is not halted.

Recall that Trump declared Nigeria a “country of particular concern” following the allegations of Christian killings in the country.

His remarks were posted on his Truth Social platform and amplified on the White House’s X handle.

The “country of particular concern” designation is an official classification under United States law.

According to a publication by the Family Research Council in 2022, the designation is typically issued by the US government, usually the Secretary of State, in situations where a country is seen to be involved in actions considered harmful to basic human rights.

The meaning and weight of the designation depends on the specific statute applied, but it usually signals that the country is engaging in practices the United States considers dangerous to universal freedoms or US national interests.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government had previously maintained that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy that protects religious freedom.

In a statement issued by President Bola Tinubu on November 1, the government said Nigeria “stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” affirming that since 2023, the administration had engaged both Christian and Muslim leaders while addressing security challenges affecting citizens “across faiths and regions.”

Tinubu stated that the portrayal of Nigeria as religiously intolerant “does not reflect our national reality,” noting that religious freedom and tolerance “have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.”