A Catholic priest, Fada Angelo Chidi Unegbu, has publicly supported former United States President Donald Trump’s decision to intervene in Nigeria over what he described as the “massacre of Christians.”
The cleric made the remarks on Sunday in a post on his Facebook page, lamenting that Nigerians are being “slaughtered daily like cows” while the federal government under President Bola Tinubu allegedly turns a deaf ear to their cries.
His statement followed Trump’s recent declaration of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and his threat to deploy US military intervention to end what he termed religious persecution and the killing of Christians in the country.
While Trump’s comments have sparked mixed reactions across Nigeria, Fada Angelo strongly defended the move, saying it may be the only hope left for many Nigerians facing insecurity and injustice.
“We have been appealing to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu all this while to stop the killings,” he wrote. “We have been reminding him that he has all it takes to stop insecurity and injustice in Nigeria, but he paid deaf ears to our pleas. Humans are slaughtered daily like cows.”
The priest accused the Nigerian government of selective justice, alleging that while terrorists and violent groups roam freely, peaceful agitators and protesters are either killed or languishing in detention.
“Terrorists are walking freely, while harmless agitators and protesters have either been killed by the same government or are in jail,” he lamented.
In another post, the cleric appealed directly to Trump, describing the situation in Nigeria as desperate and unbearable.
“If the US comes to our aid, the chances are 50/50, but if not, our doom is sealed,” he wrote. “And if the US doesn’t come, who will help us? What are the plans to stop the killings? Donald J. Trump, please come quickly.”
Trump’s comments last week declaring Nigeria a “country of particular concern” have generated widespread debate. While some Christian groups welcomed the declaration, others, including Muslim leaders and government officials, have rejected it as divisive and misleading, arguing that the country’s insecurity affects people of all faiths.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly denied claims of religious persecution, maintaining that security challenges stem from terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities unrelated to religion.
