Radical Islamists Responsible For Killings In Nigeria, Trump Insists
The United States President, Donald Trump, has insisted that attacks against Christian communities in Nigeria are carried out by “radical Islamists”.
According to Trump, he’s committed to defending Christians in Nigeria against the “existential threat.”
In a video message released by the White House on X on Wednesday, Trump said reports of mass killings of Christians were alarming and must be treated as a global emergency.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump declared.
The U.S. President announced that he had officially designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”, describing the move as grounded in U.S. law and necessary to address the worsening crisis.
“I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern. That’s a legal definition. When Christians or any such group are being slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria—3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide—something has to be done,” he said.
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“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 immediately,” he added.
The U.S. President vowed that America would not ignore atrocities against Christians, emphasising that his administration was “ready, willing, and able” to protect Christian populations worldwide.
“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. The killing of Christians will not be allowed,” Trump stated.
Trump had earlier warned that he could authorise the deployment of the U.S. Department of War to Nigeria if what he termed “Christian genocide” was not halted.
The “country of particular concern” designation is an official classification under U.S. law, typically issued when a nation is found to be involved in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.
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Meanwhile, the Federal Government of Nigeria has rejected the characterisation, insisting that Nigeria remains a democracy that guarantees religious liberty.
In a statement issued on November 1, President Bola Tinubu maintained that Nigeria “stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.”
Tinubu said his administration has continuously engaged both Christian and Muslim leaders to address security challenges across regions.
Tinubu said portraying Nigeria as religiously intolerant “does not reflect our national reality,” stressing that tolerance and coexistence “have always been core values of our collective identity.”
