U.S. President Donald J. Trump has issued a warning over what he called an “existential threat” to Christianity in Nigeria, alleging that radical Islamist groups are carrying out a “mass slaughter” of thousands of Christians across the country.
Key Highlights:
- Trump declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, ordering an immediate probe into the alleged killings.
- He directed key lawmakers to investigate the crisis, vowing that the United States stands “ready, willing, and able” to protect persecuted Christians worldwide.
- Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria, as Thousands of Christians are being killed.
Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.” He cited chilling figures—over 3,100 Christians killed in Nigeria in 2025 alone, representing nearly 70 percent of all faith-based murders worldwide.
Trump tasked Rep. Riley Moore of West Virginia and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma with leading the inquiry, demanding a comprehensive report on the atrocities.
He warned that America “cannot stand by while such crimes continue,” signaling possible sanctions and diplomatic action.
Nigeria currently ranks seventh on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. Militant groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province), and armed Fulani herders have turned vast parts of the Middle Belt and northern regions into epicenters of violence.
Reports by International Christian Concern (ICC) reveal alarming statistics: over 7,000 Christians were killed within the first seven months of 2025, with an estimated 10,000 deaths since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in 2023. Between October 2022 and September 2023, 82 percent of persecuted Christians killed globally were Nigerian.
Entire villages have been torched, churches razed, and worshippers kidnapped. Analysts say Fulani militants are carrying out strategic land-grab campaigns under religious pretexts, while Boko Haram continues to enforce a brutal jihadist order in the northeast.
This is not Trump’s first confrontation on the issue. In 2018, he famously pressed then-President Muhammadu Buhari, asking, “Why are you killing Christians?” His administration subsequently designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern in 2020, a move later reversed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
Now back in power, Trump has reinstated the CPC status, reigniting debate over Washington’s foreign policy priorities and human rights stance in Africa.
International Christian Concern praised Trump’s renewed stance as “a significant step toward global accountability.” Members of the U.S. Congress, including Reps. Tom Cole and María Elvira Salazar, hailed his leadership for “standing with the persecuted.”
On social media, Trump supporters celebrated the declaration. “Finally, someone listens!” wrote a user claiming to be part of Nigeria’s Christian diaspora. Others denounced European and African leaders for “remaining silent” in the face of genocide.
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The renewed CPC designation empowers the U.S. government to impose sanctions, cut aid, and restrict visas for implicated officials. Analysts warn that the move could strain economic and diplomatic relations between both nations, especially given Nigeria’s role as one of Africa’s top oil producers and a key U.S. ally.
As tensions mount and the world watches, Trump’s declaration has reignited the debate over faith-based persecution, religious freedom, and America’s moral duty to intervene. For millions of Nigerian Christians living under daily threat, the message is clear: faith is once again under fire.
