On Friday, Oct. 31, President Donald Trump made it known that he is aware of the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and announced on Truth Social that he is making Nigeria a “country of particular concern.”
Nigeria ranks seventh on Open Doors’ World Watch List, an annual list that ranks and reports countries where Christians are experiencing extreme persecution.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN,’” Trump wrote. “But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, [are] slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done!”
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Trump continued, “I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter, and report back to me.” The president stated that the “United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries.”
Trump concluded with the warning: “We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!”
According to Open Doors, Christians make up approximately 47% of Nigeria’s population. In a report released earlier this year, Open Doors indicated that “Jihadist violence continues to escalate in Nigeria, and Christians are particularly at risk from targeted attacks by Islamist militants, including Fulani fighters, Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province).”
Open Doors reported that failure of Nigeria’s government “to protect Christians and punish perpetrators has only strengthened the militants’ influence,” and attacks on Christians are increasing to spread to regions in the south, where a high percentage of the population is Christian.
Franklin Graham, Pete Hegseth, and Nicki Minaj Praise Thank Trump for Taking Nigeria’s Christian Persecution Seriously
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responded to Trump on X. “Yes sir. The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria—and anywhere must end immediately,” said Hegseth. “The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, expressed his gratitude for Trump’s remarks. “Thank You President @realDonaldTrump for designating Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ today for religious freedom violations,” Graham wrote. “I am so grateful for a President who cares. It is incomprehensible that some 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in the last 15 years—murdered, butchered by Islamic extremists.”
