Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga has dismissed recent claims by U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Christians in Nigeria face mass killings, describing the allegations as misleading and unfair.
Trump had on Friday, October 31, announced Nigeria’s inclusion on the United States’ Country of Particular Concern list, citing what he called the “mass slaughter of Christians by extremist groups in the country
Reacting to the development, Secretary Rubio backed Trump’s decision on X (formerly Twitter), stressing that the U.S. would continue to defend persecuted Christians globally.
However, Onanuga, who serves as Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, publicly disagreed with the U.S. officials, insisting that both Muslims and Christians are victims of violence in Nigeria.
Muslim lives matter too. There is no ongoing slaughter of Christians in Nigeria,
Onanuga wrote in response to Rubio’s post.
He argued that the U.S. position was based on a biased and one-sided narrative, ignoring the fact that extremist attacks and banditry in Nigeria have also claimed numerous Muslim lives across several northern states.
Onanuga’s rebuttal has since sparked intense online debate, with supporters praising his defense of Nigeria’s image, while critics accused the government of downplaying religiously motivated killings.
The Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation by Washington typically targets nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom and can result in diplomatic or economic sanctions.
Nigeria was previously placed on the CPC list in 2020 under Trump’s first term, but the designation was later removed in 2021 by the Biden administration.
Its recent reinstatement marks a renewed U.S. scrutiny of Nigeria’s human rights and security record.
As of press time, the Nigerian government has not issued an official statement beyond Onanuga’s response.
