The Nigerian government has firmly dismissed recent claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump about the alleged persecution of Christians in the country, describing the statements as inaccurate and harmful to diplomatic relations.
At a press conference in Berlin on Tuesday, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar held up a document titled “Nigeria’s Constitutional Commitment to Religious Freedom and Rule of Law,” emphasizing that the nation’s constitution safeguards religious liberty for all citizens.
“All the answers are in there. This is what guides us,” Tuggar said, standing beside Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. “It’s impossible for there to be religious persecution that can be supported in any way, shape or form by the government of Nigeria at any level.”
Trump’s remarks, posted on social media over the weekend, accused Nigeria of “allowing the killing of Christians” and warned that the U.S. could cut off all aid if the situation continued. He even claimed to have instructed the Department of War to “prepare for possible action.”
On Sunday, the U.S. president went further, suggesting that troops could be deployed or air strikes conducted, declaring, “They are killing a record number of Christians in Nigeria. We are not gonna allow that to happen.”
These comments followed Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” a classification reserved for nations accused of violating religious freedoms.
Trump’s assertions mirror narratives circulating in right-wing and evangelical Christian circles in the U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a close Trump ally, recently introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, seeking to punish officials accused of enabling religious violence or enforcing blasphemy laws.
The Nigerian government, however, insists that such portrayals distort reality. Officials argue that violence affects both Christians and Muslims, largely driven by criminal groups and insurgencies, not state policy.
“The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” said President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim from southern Nigeria married to a Christian pastor.
Nigeria, with 238 million citizens, is Africa’s most populous country. Roughly 46 percent of Nigerians are Muslim, mainly in the north, while another 46 percent are Christian, mostly in the south, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives.
The country continues to battle insecurity, especially in the northeast, where Boko Haram and other armed groups have waged a violent insurgency for over a decade. Since President Tinubu took office two years ago, promising to strengthen national security, more than 10,000 people have been killed, according to Amnesty International.
Nigerian officials have urged the U.S. government to rely on verified information and avoid statements that could inflame tensions or damage bilateral relations.
The Foreign Ministry reaffirmed that religious freedom remains protected by law, adding that both Muslims and Christians continue to coexist peacefully across much of the country, despite security challenges.
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