President Bola Tinubu has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Christians are facing “mass slaughter” in Nigeria, insisting the country does not suffer from systematic religious persecution.
Mr Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, described Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and alleged that Christians were being killed by “radical Islamists”, saying Christianity faced an “existential threat” in Africa’s most populous nation. He urged US lawmakers to investigate the situation.
In a statement issued on Saturday and personally signed by him, President Tinubu dismissed the characterisation, saying it does not reflect Nigeria’s reality. He said the country remains committed to religious freedom and peaceful coexistence.
“The portrayal of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it acknowledge our government’s efforts to protect freedom of religion and belief,” Mr Tinubu says.
He added that since assuming office in 2023, his administration has maintained active dialogue with both Christian and Muslim leaders, while addressing nationwide security challenges affecting citizens “across all faiths and regions”.
Nigeria has long grappled with communal violence, terrorism, and armed banditry in parts of the country, where both Christian and Muslim communities have suffered casualties.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly argued that the violence is driven more by criminality and local tensions than by religious persecution.