United States (US) President Donald Trump has declared Nigeria a "Country of Particular Concern," alleging that Christians in the country face mass killings at the hands of radical Islamists.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump claimed Christianity is under existential threat in Nigeria, describing the situation as a "mass slaughter."
"Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter," he wrote.
Trump said the US "cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening," adding that he has directed Congressman Riley Moore and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole to investigate the issue and report back to him.
"I am hereby making Nigeria a 'country of particular concern.' But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done," the US president said.
"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," he added.
Reacting to similar claims in September, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, dismissed reports of a systematic genocide against Christians as "false, baseless, despicable, and divisive."
"Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is inaccurate and harmful," Idris had said, insisting that Muslims, Christians, and non-religious Nigerians have all suffered from extremist violence.
He explained that between May 2023 and February 2025, security forces neutralised over 13,500 terrorists and rescued nearly 10,000 hostages, while more than 700 Boko Haram suspects have been convicted in court.
"These criminals target all who reject their murderous ideology, regardless of faith," he added.
Earlier in October, Trump’s Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, met with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, where he dismissed reports of a religiously targeted genocide.
"Those who know the terrain well know that terrorism has no colour, no religion, and no tribe," Boulos had said, acknowledging that extremist groups such as Boko Haram and ISIS have attacked people of all faiths, often killing Muslims as well.
"Any loss of life is one too many, and we should work together to end this," he added.
On October 14, the Nigerian Senate set up a 12-member ad-hoc committee to examine international allegations of Christian persecution and to develop a fact-based report.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed the committee to provide verifiable data to guide Nigeria’s diplomatic response and engage with the U.S. Congress to correct what lawmakers described as "misleading narratives."
"Our findings must be backed with verifiable facts and statistics," Akpabio had said.
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had lamented that Christian communities continue to suffer deadly attacks across the country.
CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, called on the government to take stronger measures to protect citizens and bring perpetrators to justice.
"Our concern remains that these cries for justice and protection are too often met with delay or denial," he said.
The association added that it has consistently documented religiously motivated attacks and engaged international bodies, including the International Criminal Court, seeking justice for victims.
"The pain of Christian families torn apart by violence must never be treated as mere statistics," CAN had said.
Minister Idris reiterated that freedom of religion is protected under Nigeria’s Constitution, stressing that Nigeria remains committed to democracy and human rights.
"It is doubtful that foreign interlopers are aware that the current heads of both the armed forces and the police are Christians," he said, urging international media to avoid sensational reporting.
"We urge all commentators to support Nigeria’s efforts in combating terrorism and criminality," Idris added.
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