Nigerian President Bola Tinubu pushed back Saturday against President Donald Trump’s forceful statements calling attention to the ongoing genocide of Christians in Nigeria, insisting that Trump’s remarks “did not reflect reality.” Tinubu claimed his government had worked hard to promote “religious tolerance,” even as reports continue to surface of mass killings and village burnings targeting Christians across the country.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” Tinubu said in a statement, “nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.”
Tinubu asserted that his administration “maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike.” However, notably, he did not name the two main jihadist threats — the Fulani militants and Boko Haram — that have devastated Christian communities for over a decade.
Trump Calls Out Nigerian Inaction, Stands Up for Persecuted Christians
President Trump, in a statement on Friday, announced he would restore Nigeria to the State Department’s list of Countries of Particular Concern for Religious Freedom, citing the government’s failure to act decisively against violent Islamist groups.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The move follows a request from Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) in early October, urging the State Department to acknowledge the scale of persecution — an estimated 50,000 Christians have been killed since 2009. Trump noted that he asked Rep. Moore to open a Congressional inquiry into the atrocities.
In his remarks, Trump didn’t mince words about potential U.S. action:
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria,” he warned, “and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
Tinubu’s Adviser Strikes Softer Tone, Seeks Meeting with Trump
Despite Tinubu’s defensive comments, one of his top aides, Daniel Bwala, signaled a more conciliatory approach on Sunday, announcing on social media that Tinubu plans to meet President Trump “in the coming days.”
“Both President Bola Tinubu and President Donald Trump have shared interest in the fight against insurgency and all forms of terrorism against humanity,” Bwala said.
He praised Trump’s prior support for Nigeria’s counterterror efforts, acknowledging that Trump “assisted Nigeria a lot by authorizing the sale of arms.” Bwala emphasized that any disagreements over the Christian persecution issue “would be discussed and resolved” in the upcoming meeting.
“As for the differences as to whether terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians or in fact all faiths and no faiths,” Bwala said, “the differences, if they exist, would be discussed and resolved by the two leaders when they meet in the coming days, either in State House or White House.”
Background: Years of Violence Against Christians
In Nigeria’s northeast, Boko Haram — which the government once claimed had been “eradicated” — continues to kidnap and massacre Christians. These attacks are often dismissed by Nigerian authorities as “banditry,” despite clear ideological and religious motives.
