The United States has redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) after President Donald Trump alleged that Christians face mass killings in the West African nation.
Trump said on Friday that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” blaming “radical Islamists” for the deaths of thousands of Christians. He called on U.S. lawmakers, including Congressman Riley Moore and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, to investigate the situation, insisting that America “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening.”
The move follows lobbying by far-right politicians and commentators in the U.S. and Europe, who accuse Nigerian authorities of turning a blind eye to alleged religious persecution.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, rejected the genocide narrative, saying the Tinubu administration is addressing insecurity “boldly and decisively” and that the country should be respected as a “multi-religious nation united against terrorism, banditry and extremism.”
Nigeria was previously placed on the CPC list during Trump’s first term in 2020, but President Joe Biden removed it a year later.
Despite persistent jihadist violence by Boko Haram and widespread bandit attacks, analysts note that most conflicts in Nigeria’s north and central regions are driven more by competition for land and resources than religion.
