WASHINGTON: Former U.S. President Donald Trump has raised concerns over what he described as the rising wave of violence targeting Christians in Nigeria, warning that the situation poses an “existential threat” to religious freedom in the country.
In a statement released on Friday, Trump said the United States cannot stand by while such atrocities continue abroad.
Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
He accused radical Islamists of killing thousands of Christians and urged the U.S. Congress to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern a classification that could trigger tighter diplomatic and economic measures against Abuja.
Trump also disclosed that he had asked Representative Riley Moore, in coordination with House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, to launch an investigation and submit a report on the matter.
We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world, Trump added.
The statement comes amid ongoing violence in parts of Kaduna, Plateau, and Benue States, where attacks by armed groups, bandits, and extremist militias have repeatedly affected Christian communities.
While the Nigerian government often attributes the unrest to criminality and communal clashes, several international human rights organisations have documented patterns suggesting religious persecution.
Earlier this month, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz claimed that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2009, a figure the Nigerian government has denied. Cruz alleged that Christians were being massacred, and that thousands of churches and schools had been destroyed over the years.
The renewed international attention adds pressure on Nigeria’s federal authorities to intensify efforts at addressing religiously motivated violence and restoring confidence in the country’s security system.
