United States President Donald Trump has once again placed Nigeria on a list of “countries of particular concern,” accusing the government of turning a blind eye to what he described as genocide against Christians.
In a post on his social media platform on Friday night, Trump claimed that thousands of Christians were being killed by “radical Islamists” in Nigeria and that the country’s leadership had failed to protect them.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” Trump wrote. “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, are slaughtered like what is happening in Nigeria, something must be done!”
He said that, according to his figures, over 3,100 Christians were killed in Nigeria, out of an estimated 4,476 Christian deaths worldwide, in recent years.
The U.S. President urged Congressman Riley Moore, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, and other lawmakers to “immediately look into this matter” and report back to him. He also called on the U.S. Congress to take urgent action, saying the United States “cannot remain silent while such atrocities continue.”
“We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world,” he added.
Trump’s comments came just days after Nigeria’s Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, voiced support for Palestine and called for a ceasefire in Gaza during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. His speech reportedly angered some American pro-Christian and conservative groups, who accused Nigeria of siding against Israel.
In 2020, during his previous administration, Trump had also listed Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged violations of religious freedom. That designation was later removed by President Joe Biden’s government in 2021, after what U.S. officials described as “improvements in engagement and oversight.”
However, the latest development marks a return to the same controversy — and comes at a time when Nigeria is trying to strengthen its international partnerships to tackle terrorism, banditry, and economic challenges.
Several international figures, including a Vatican Cardinal, have dismissed Trump’s claim of religious genocide, insisting that both Christians and Muslims are victims of ongoing violence in Nigeria.
“The killings in Nigeria are not targeted at one religion. Communities of both faiths suffer from attacks by terrorists and criminals,” the Vatican official was quoted as saying in response to Trump’s post.
The Nigerian government has not yet issued an official statement, but officials have in the past rejected similar claims, saying that the crisis in the North is driven more by poverty, extremism, and criminality than by religious persecution.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has struggled for over a decade with insecurity caused by Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and armed bandit groups that frequently attack villages, schools, and highways.
For now, both the White House and the U.S. State Department have not released further details about what practical measures may follow the designation.
