By Babatunde Ayedoju
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, recently caused a stir when he designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), and even threatened to carry out military actions against the country and cut aid to the country if the government fails to take steps to stop the killing of Christians.
In a video released on Truth Social, he had pledged to “do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about” and “go into that now-disgraced country guns-a-blazing.”
The matter began with allegations raised by some American politicians about a genocide taking place in the country targeted at Christians.
Representative Riley M. Moore of West Virginia claimed that at least 7,000 Christians in Nigeria had been killed this year alone—an average of 35 deaths each day, with 19,000 churches destroyed.
According to him, data from Open Doors indicated that more Christians were killed every year in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined. He also considered introducing a resolution in the US House of Representatives condemning the persecution and killings of Christians in Nigeria and supporting Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC, due to serious religious freedom violations.
Moore equally cited data at his disposal revealing that between 50,000 and 100,000 Christians had been martyred for their faith since 2009, adding, “In Benue and Plateau States alone, more than 9,500 people, mostly Christians, were killed between May 2023 and May 2025 by Fulani militants.”
The mass killings were blamed on groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP and Fulani militants, who were accused of carrying out massacres, church burnings, kidnappings, and sexual violence.
In September, popular television host and comedian, Bill Maher, also claimed that Boko Haram had killed over 100,000 people since 2009 and burned 18,000 churches.
Prominent Texas Senator, Ted Cruz, had also embarked on campaigns on the matter, posting on X that “since 2009, over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred, and over 18,000 churches and 2,000 Christian schools have been destroyed.”
This situation has elicited diverse reactions from Nigerians. Several individuals—both Christians and Muslims—and even government functionaries have reacted to the matter.
President Bola Tinubu faulted the allegation of Christian genocide in Nigeria, saying, “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.”
Likewise, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, at an event in Berlin, Germany, insisted that there is no form of persecution or genocide against Christians in Nigeria, saying that Nigeria’s laws fully guarantee religious freedom for all citizens.
Reactions have been divergent on the matter. While some greeted America’s body language with applause, saying that there has indeed been a genocide against Christians, others disagreed, arguing that both Muslims and Christians have been killed by anti-state actors across the north and parts of the south.
However, an important question to ask is: Are the Americans right to interfere and intervene in Nigeria’s state of security the way they are doing currently? Also, what lessons can be learnt from the reaction of Donald Trump and other American public figures to the menace of insecurity in Nigeria?
Professor Simon Ehiabhi, a historian, while admitting that there has been a genocide in Nigeria, with Christians serving as major targets, said that the reaction of the Americans shows that Nigeria is not taking the war against terrorism seriously.
Ehiabhi stated that the Nigerian government had not done enough to nip terrorism in the bud. He pointed out that since 1999, Nigeria had been experiencing various kinds of terrorist activities, which reached their climax with the Chibok girls’ abduction.
The professor of African political history noted that since then, no government had taken the issue of security seriously.
“The American call, for me, is a lesson for Nigerians to wake up and take responsibility against terrorism in the country. It’s a statement that should force Nigeria to take proactive action against terrorism in the country,” he said.
According to Professor Adedayo Afe, another historian, everybody knows that there is mass killing in Nigeria, a situation he described as very unfortunate. He, however, said that the religious background of the victims is open to debate.
The professor of legal history posited that if the government had done the needful on time—securing lives and property—there would have been no basis for the alarm raised by America. While noting that government should secure lives and property, Afe stated that the Nigerian government had not done enough in that regard, thereby making room for external interference.
Afe called on the Federal Government and governments of other African countries to prioritise the security of lives and property in their domains so that other countries would not interfere in their internal matters.
Dr Harrison Idowu, a political scientist, interpreted the message from the Americans as a wake-up call for Nigeria to put its house in order. While admitting that there have been massive killings in various parts of Nigeria, Idowu said that the religious background of the victims does not matter because every life is precious.
He added that it is time for all Nigerians to unite and bring an end to insurgency, saying that it has taken too long for government to address it effectively.
The political scientist equally hinted that America is not happy with Nigeria, especially with the way Nigeria’s economy is now growing and the way Nigeria is distancing herself from America while aligning with Russia and China. He said that such a development is capable of making the Americans seek every loophole to destabilise Nigeria, adding that Nigeria gives them such an opportunity by treating insecurity with kid gloves.
His words, “I don’t believe there is any Christian genocide in Nigeria. Boko Haram has been in Nigeria since around 2009. As a matter of fact, before this issue got to the Middle Belt, the terrorists had been in Borno, Yobe and other parts of the northeast. Majority of the people that have been killed are Muslims. So you cannot use the Benue case to generalise for the country.
“Benue is in the Middle Belt. If terrorists attack a community in Benue State, we should expect the victims to be Christians because it is a predominantly Christian environment. If bandits attack a place like Borno or Yobe, majority of the victims will be Muslims.”
The political scientist advised the government to seek international collaboration to deal decisively with insurgency.
In the words of Paul Isah, a student, one lesson to learn from Donald Trump’s reaction to the killings in Nigeria is the importance of valuing human life and speaking out against injustice, regardless of where it happens. He said that Trump’s reaction shows that leaders should not remain silent when innocent lives are being lost.
“Another lesson is that strong and decisive leadership can draw global attention to local crises. When influential figures speak out, it can pressure governments and international bodies to take action or reconsider their approach to security and human rights.
“We can also learn that leaders’ words carry influence—what they say can either comfort victims, hold perpetrators accountable, or shape international opinion. Therefore, every leader should be careful, compassionate and responsible in their response to human suffering,” he said.
While noting that if government had acted promptly, insecurity in Nigeria would not have gained this level of international attention, Isah said Nigerians should unanimously speak out against the killings, adding that negotiating with the bandits is a wrong decision that should not be considered at all.