Trump Warns of Existential Threat to Christianity in Nigeria, Adds Nation to U.S. Watchlist — The Bureau News Nigeria News Today
By Queen Madaki | The Bureau News
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former U.S. President Donald Trump has raised alarm over what he described as an existential threat to Christianity in Nigeria, announcing that he is adding the West African country to the United States State Department’s watchlist for religious freedom violations.
Trump made the declaration on Friday in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, alleging that “radical Islamists” were responsible for widespread killings of Christians across several Nigerian communities.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
Nigeria Added to ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ List
The former U.S. president said Nigeria would be added to the State Department’s “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) list — a designation reserved for nations accused of engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.
Other countries currently on the CPC list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan, among others, according to the U.S. Department of State’s official website.
Trump said he had directed U.S. Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, as well as the House Appropriations Committee, to examine reports of persecution in Nigeria and present findings to him “as soon as possible.”
Growing Global Scrutiny Over Religious Violence in Nigeria
The move comes amid renewed international concern over rising religious and ethnic violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions. Various human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), have documented dozens of deadly attacks targeting both Christian and Muslim communities.
The Bureau News recalls that Nigeria was previously placed on and later removed from the CPC list during President Joe Biden’s administration, a decision that drew criticism from advocacy groups and U.S. lawmakers who cited ongoing insecurity and sectarian killings.
Analysts say Trump’s latest statement could reignite policy debates in Washington over how the U.S. engages with Nigeria on human rights, security cooperation, and counterterrorism strategy in the Sahel region.