The United States (US) Ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Waltz, and American musician Nicki Minaj on Tuesday evening drew global attention to Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, using a UN platform to spotlight a surge in attacks targeting Christian communities.
Speaking at an event titled "Combatting Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria," the pair warned that the pattern of assaults on churches and Christian settlements reflects a deeper erosion of religious freedom in Africa’s most populous nation.
Waltz, in a powerful address, described the killings as "genocide wearing the mask of chaos," arguing that the violence is neither sporadic nor isolated.
"In the Middle Belt and in the North, churches burn, mothers bury their children for the crime of singing Amazing Grace; pastors have been beheaded for preaching the Sermon on the Mount.
"Entire villages wake up to gunfire because they dare to commit the crime of calling Jesus their Lord. People go to jail under blasphemy laws for simply wearing a cross. This is not random violence. This is genocide wearing the mask of chaos."
The ambassador also referenced a recent school attack, said to be the abduction of 25 girls, which he said formed part of the wider pattern of insecurity engulfing Christian communities.
Citing figures from the NGO Open Doors, Waltz stated that Nigeria accounts for a disproportionate share of global attacks on Christians.
According to him, the organisation "reports 80 per cent of the violence against Christians worldwide is occurring in Nigeria."
He further commended US President Donald Trump for what he described as sustained advocacy on behalf of persecuted Christians.
"President Trump has made the persecuted church his priority like no other president before him in American history," Waltz said, pointing to Trump’s 2019 UN meeting on religious freedom and the creation of the Religious Liberty Commission.
"He has reminded the world that protecting Christians is not about politics. It is a moral duty," he added.
Minaj, who attended as a guest participant, spoke about the mounting attacks and urged stronger global cooperation to safeguard religious minorities.
The event comes amid renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s security landscape, with rights groups and foreign missions calling for greater protection of vulnerable communities.
"I would like to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue and leadership on the global stage and calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria to combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to exercise their natural rights to freedom of religion or belief.
"I stand here as a proud NewYorker with a deep sense of gratitude that we live in a country where we can freely and safely worship God regardless of one's created background or politics.
"No group should ever be prosecuted for practicing their religion like I recently stated on social media. And we don't have to share the belief system for us to respect eachother," she said in part.
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