American rapper Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, popularly known as Nicki Minaj, has told a United Nations audience that Christians in Nigeria are being driven from their homes and killed — echoing former US President Donald Trump’s recent claims of targeted persecution.
Speaking on Tuesday at a US-organised forum on religious violence, Minaj said Nigeria’s security crisis has left Christian communities vulnerable to repeated assaults.
“In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted,” she said. “Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart … simply because of how they pray.”
The 42-year-old rapper stressed that her remarks were not meant to deepen divisions but to highlight the suffering of victims. She said her advocacy was rooted in humanity, not politics.
“This is not about taking sides or dividing people,” Minaj noted. “This is about standing up in the face of injustice. It’s about what I’ve always stood for.”
Standing beside US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, she thanked Trump “for prioritizing this issue and for his leadership,” and described Nigeria as “a beautiful nation with deep faith traditions,” also acknowledging her Nigerian fanbase, the “beautiful Barbz”.
Her comments follow Trump’s controversial threat to deploy US troops to Nigeria, declaring he would intervene “guns a-blazing” if the Nigerian government “continues to allow the killing of Christians.” He had recently labelled Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” citing persistent attacks in the northern region where armed groups have raided villages and killed residents.
Nigeria’s presidency has dismissed allegations of systemic religious persecution, insisting the violence affects people of all faiths. Officials argue that insecurity stems from long-standing issues such as competition over land and water, inter-ethnic clashes, and the criminal activities of armed groups.
Security analysts similarly warn that the crisis is more complex than a religious conflict, noting that both Muslims and Christians have been victims. They also caution that foreign rhetoric may escalate tensions if not grounded in verified facts.
Waltz, however, praised Minaj for “leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria,” saying her intervention has amplified an issue long raised by conservative voices in Washington.
Minaj’s remarks have stirred debate online, with some Nigerians applauding her concern, while others argue she lacks full understanding of a conflict shaped by terrorism, banditry, land disputes and weak state enforcement.
