President Donald Trump on Friday announced that the United States is designating Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over what he described as widespread attacks on Christians in the West African nation.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. “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.”
The President emphasised that “action must follow wherever people are persecuted for their faith,” and directed Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.), Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), along with members of the House Appropriations Committee, to investigate the situation and submit a report to him.
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries,” Trump said. “We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world.”
Escalating Attacks on Christians
Attacks against Christians in Nigeria have reportedly reached alarming levels. Entire villages have been burned, worshippers killed during Sunday services, and thousands displaced in assaults by Islamist militants operating across the country’s northern and central regions.
In June, gunmen stormed the village of a bishop just days after he testified before Congress about Christian persecution, killing more than 20 people. Similar raids in Plateau and Benue states have left hundreds dead this year, with witnesses recalling attackers shouting “Allahu Akbar” as they torched churches and homes.
According to Open Doors, an international Christian watchdog, nearly 70% of Christians killed for their faith worldwide last year were from Nigeria. The group attributes most of the violence to Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and armed Fulani herders targeting Christian farming communities in the country’s Middle Belt.
Rights organisations estimate that thousands of Christians are killed annually, while countless others flee their homes.
U.S. Calls for Accountability
Mark Walker, President Trump’s ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom, told Fox News Digital that Washington must intensify pressure on Nigeria’s government.
“Even being conservative, it’s probably between 4,000 to 8,000 Christians killed annually,” Walker said. “This has been happening for years — from ISWAP to Islamist Fulani militias — and the Nigerian government must be far more proactive.”
Walker, a former pastor and congressman from North Carolina, said that although his nomination is pending, he has been working with church networks across Africa to protect missionaries and local believers.
“This isn’t about appropriations or politics — it’s about human life,” he said. “Women and children are being kidnapped and killed. All of us should raise our voices.”
He added that he intends to collaborate with Sen. Marco Rubio to strengthen U.S. advocacy on religious freedom once confirmed. “Fortunately, we have a Secretary of State who’s already been one of the stronger voices,” Walker said. “He understands the urgency, and I look forward to advising him.”
Growing Global Concern
The White House has acknowledged rising anti-Christian violence across sub-Saharan Africa, where jihadist groups exploit political instability and porous borders. Both Pope Leo and the U.S. State Department have condemned the recent massacres, warning that the crisis could spread beyond Nigeria’s borders.
“The United States should always stand up for freedom of religion,” Walker said. “That begins with telling the truth about what’s happening.”
Nigeria Denies Targeted Persecution
Nigerian officials, however, reject claims of systematic persecution. Information Minister Mohammed Idris told Fox News Digital that reports of widespread killings are “very misleading,” insisting that the government does not tolerate religious discrimination.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga echoed this view in comments to The Daily Post, saying, “Christians are not targeted. We have religious harmony in our country.”
U.S. lawmakers disagree. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told Fox News Digital that “since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred” and “more than 20,000 churches and Christian schools destroyed.” He called the situation “a crisis of religious genocide” and urged stronger U.S. action.
“When the World Stays Silent, the Killers Return”
Despite ongoing denials, the violence persists. Churches continue to burn, Christian villages are still under siege, and millions live in fear.
“When the world stays silent, the killers return,” a priest from Plateau State told Fox News.
Source: Fox News
