Former U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning that Christianity is facing an “existential threat” in Nigeria, accusing radical Islamist groups of carrying out a “mass slaughter” across the country.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said he is designating Nigeria a “country of particular concern” amid escalating religious violence.
“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,” he wrote.
Trump added that he has instructed key members of Congress to investigate the crisis.
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries,” he said. “We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world!”
Rising Violence and Worsening Crisis for Christians
Attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria have sharply increased. Reports from Fox News reveal that villages have been destroyed, churches burned, and worshipers killed during services.
Militant groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani herders have targeted Christian populations, displacing thousands in the country’s northern and central regions.
In one recent assault, militants raided a bishop’s village just days after he testified before Congress, killing over 20 people. Similar attacks in Plateau and Benue states have claimed hundreds of lives this year.
According to Open Doors, nearly 70% of Christians killed for their faith worldwide last year were in Nigeria. Human rights organizations estimate between 4,000 and 8,000 deaths annually, alongside widespread kidnappings and mass displacement.
Global Outcry and Calls for Action
Mark Walker, Trump’s ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom, emphasized the urgent need for U.S. intervention.
“Even being conservative, it’s probably 4,000 to 8,000 Christians killed annually,” Walker told Fox News Digital. “This isn’t about politics — it’s about human life. We’re talking about women and children being kidnapped and horrific things happening.”
Both the White House and Pope Leo XIV have condemned the ongoing violence, warning that instability in Nigeria could threaten regional peace. Nigerian officials, however, deny systematic persecution, labeling such reports “misleading.”
Senator Ted Cruz countered these denials, stating that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed and over 20,000 churches destroyed since 2009 — calling it “a crisis of religious genocide.”
Ongoing Attacks Across Nigeria
Despite growing international concern, violent attacks continue across Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Survivors and clergy have urged world leaders to act. As one priest from Plateau State said: “When the world stays silent, the killers return.”
