Trump warns Nigeria over Christian killings; many welcome move

A Nigerian pastor and other Christians have welcomed President Donald Trump’s pressure on the Abuja government to end the killing of Christians. The President recently designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and warned that he was considering withholding aid and imposing financial and other sanctions against government officials.

But Christians interviewed by Fox News Digital say that while they welcome Trump’s support, they do not want US troops to be sent to Nigeria to stop widespread killings of their co-religionists in the West African country’s Middle Belt, one of the worst-hit regions.

Pastor Fred, who asked to be identified only by his first name for fear of retaliation, told Plateau State’s Fox News Digital: “We have been trying to raise the alarm because people’s voices have been silenced for the last 20 years. Our hope is that by doing so, we will challenge the Nigerian government and those with influence and power to make a difference as lives have been lost.”

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Pastor Fred, whose church has been attacked multiple times by Islamist militants, remains staunchly opposed to any foreign military intervention, although Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued a warning earlier this month that “the War Department is preparing to take action. Either the Nigerian government will protect Christians, or we will kill the Islamist terrorists who are committing these terrible atrocities.”

“As a Nigerian, it makes me quite uncomfortable to imagine the future of the soldiers. (I’m) very disturbed by it, but I’m more disturbed by the fact that people are being slaughtered and the government is doing very little.”

Prominent bishop of Nigeria’s Plateau State, who asked not to be named for his safety, “I’m very pleased. I’m very happy. This is a very, very welcome development,” he told Fox News Digital of his relief at the president’s comments.

Last month, President Trump said in a post on Truth Social that three out of every four Christians killed in the world last year were killed in Nigeria, or 3,100 of the 4,476 deaths worldwide. These are the exact numbers published by Open Doors in its 2025 World Watch List. Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians who are persecuted for their faith.

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Youths are protesting the killings following a deadly attack by Fulani militants on Christian-majority villages in Benue state, which left 218 people dead and 6,000 displaced. The protest took place in Benue state in June 2025. (Open Doors in England)

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom states that approximately 46% of Nigeria’s population is Christian, and many sources claim that the bishop is said to have 90% of the population in Plateau State as Christian. However, waves of radicalized Muslim Fulani nomadic tribes have repeatedly attacked Christians here; Children are often beheaded and their lands seized.

The bishop noted: “The challenge we face is that Fulani militants come to kill without anyone stopping them. They kill with impunity. You call security (Nigerian authorities). If they come, they come late; after people have been killed and houses have been burned.”

In December 2023, the bishop said his experience was typical “They [Fulani militants] He killed 17 people. We thought it was over. “When we went for the burial, they attacked more than 25 villages in Plateau State, killing more than 100 people, including children.”

The bishop stated that he was grateful for President Trump’s intervention and said, “Christians here think this development is correct. Someone [in Washington] We control what is happening in Nigeria, some people look, some people observe, and we believe that this will put pressure on the government. “We want to make sure that security forces start doing what they need to do.”

Fox News Digital has documented cases of Fulani militants shouting “Death to all Christians” while attacking Nigerian Christians. A Nigerian lawyer interviewed by Fox News Digital this week said the conditions were indescribably difficult and said: “President Trump’s comments delight me, as well as many Nigerians, especially those from the Middle Belt region, where thousands have been killed and maimed, pregnant women disemboweled, farmland destroyed and ancestral lands seized by brutal Fulani militants.”

A funeral ceremony was held for approximately 27 Christians who were reportedly killed by Islamist Fulani tribes in the Bindi Ta-hoss village of Nigeria. (Courtesy: Christian Solidarity International (CSI))

“President Trump’s intervention is timely and must be done quickly before the Nigerian government turns to Russia or China,” the lawyer told Fox News Digital. The lawyer did not want his name to be published out of fear for his safety.

“The Nigerian government cared little about the plight of these people,” the lawyer added. He hoped that “the United States will act in different ways to liberate Christian minorities from the hegemony of Fulani militants.”

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“The federal government of Nigeria has taken note of recent statements by US President Donald J. Trump regarding the state of religious freedom and security in Nigeria. While we welcome any expression of concern for the welfare of Nigerians, we wish to clarify that Nigeria is firmly committed to protecting the rights, security and freedom of worship of all its citizens (Christians, Muslims and people of other faiths),” Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation told Fox News Digital.

The minister continued: “Nigeria is a multi-religious nation where communities of different faiths have lived together for centuries. The government continues to confront violent extremism in all its forms, whether based on ideology, crime or ethnicity, and works closely with regional and international partners to ensure peace and stability beyond our borders. Any external engagement on this issue must be based on facts, mutual respect and partnership rather than perception or misinformation.”