United States President Donald Trump issued a statement on Friday condemning the rising wave of violence against Christians in Nigeria and urging that the United States “cannot stand by” while such atrocities continue abroad.
“Christianity in Nigeria faces an existential threat,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
He accused “radical Islamists” of killing thousands of Christians and called on Congress to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”, a label that could trigger strict diplomatic or economic measures.
Trump said he has requested that Representative Riley Moore, in coordination with House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, launch an investigation and report his findings.
“We are ready, willing and able to save our great Christian population throughout the world,” he said.
The comments come as Nigeria faces repeated security challenges in areas such as Kaduna, Plateau and Benue states, where attacks by armed groups, bandits and extremist militias hit Christian communities.
While the Nigerian government often frames the violence in the context of criminality or sectarian conflict, international human rights organizations have documented what they argue amounts to religious persecution.
Earlier this month, Texas Senator Ted Cruz said that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2009, although the Nigerian government denies this claim.
The Texas senator said in a post on Twitter that Christians in Nigeria have been “genocided”, while thousands of churches and schools have been destroyed.
