President Donald Trump on Friday declared that Christianity is facing an “existential threat” in Nigeria, accusing radical Islamists of carrying out a “mass slaughter” of Christians.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he is designating Nigeria a “country of particular concern” and called on Congress to investigate the violence. He urged the United States to take action, saying the nation “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening” and must protect Christian populations worldwide.
Trump posted, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. 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. When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must 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 report back to me. 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!”
Earlier this month, Ted Cruz said that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2009, a claim the Nigerian government denies. The Texas senator said in a post on X on Tuesday that Christians have been “massacred” in Nigeria, while thousands of churches and schools have been destroyed.
Sunday Dare, the spokesperson for Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, called Cruz’s post “careless rhetoric that fuels misunderstanding,” adding: “Nigeria is not witnessing a Christian genocide; it is confronting terrorism that targets everyone.”
Nigeria and the alleged persecution of Christians there have been at the forefront of international conversations about the country recently, especially after comedian and commentator Bill Maher said Christians are being “systematically killed” and blasted Americans for not paying enough attention to it on September 26.
The U.S. State Department previously told Newsweek that it is “deeply concerned about the levels of violence against Christians and members of other groups in Nigeria.”
Cruz introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 last month, a bill aimed at protecting Christians from persecution.
There are conflicting statistics about how many Christians have died and how many have died as a result of their faith. International Christian advocacy group Open Doors lists Nigeria as the seventh-most dangerous place for Christians on its World Watch list and says “more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined.”
Out of at least 4,476 Christians killed for their religion across the world last year, 3,100 of them were in Nigeria, Open Doors said in its most recent Watch List.
This violence is being carried out by Islamic jihadist groups, including Fulani militants, Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province), according to Open Doors and several other NGOs.
Experts agree that other religions, including Muslims, are also affected by the terrorism sweeping the country, but multiple advocates still believe that Christians are being disproportionately targeted for their religion, especially in the Middle Belt.
The Middle Belt is the epicenter of violence in Nigeria for multiple reasons: it is home to hundreds of minority ethnic groups, it experiences frequent land and farmer-herder conflicts, and it is one of the few areas bordering the predominantly Muslim North with a significant concentration of Christians.
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