United States President Donald Trump has once again expressed concern over what he described as the “mass slaughter” of Christians in Nigeria, warning that the situation poses an existential threat to Christianity in the West African nation.
In a video shared by the White House on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Trump claimed that “thousands and thousands” of Christians have been killed in Nigeria, allegedly by radical Islamist groups. He described the killings as “one of the most horrific tragedies happening in the world today.”
“Christians in Nigeria are facing mass killings at an unimaginable scale,” Trump said. “It’s a terrible situation — thousands and thousands of innocent people, men, women, and children — being killed simply because of their faith. Radical Islamists are carrying out a mass slaughter, and the world must not stay silent.”
The former president, who has consistently portrayed himself as a defender of global Christian communities, called for urgent international attention to what he termed a “crisis of faith and humanity.”
Trump’s comments have reignited global debate over the recurring violence in parts of northern and central Nigeria, where armed groups, including Boko Haram insurgents and bandit militias, have been accused of targeting rural communities. While many of these attacks have religious undertones, Nigerian authorities have often described them as acts of terrorism and banditry rather than religious persecution.
As of press time, the Nigerian government had yet to respond to Trump’s latest remarks. However, officials in the past have dismissed similar claims by foreign leaders, arguing that the violence affects Nigerians of all faiths and ethnicities.
Trump’s statement is expected to draw both praise and criticism — with Christian advocacy groups likely to welcome his attention to the issue, while others may accuse him of oversimplifying Nigeria’s complex security challenges.
The U.S. State Department, under previous administrations, had placed Nigeria on a watchlist of countries of concern over religious freedom, though it was later removed in 2021.
Trump’s renewed rhetoric may pressure Washington to revisit its stance amid ongoing concerns about human rights and security in Nigeria.
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