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The Presidency has yet to respond to the decision by the US President Donald Trump to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over what he described as persistent “Christian genocide” in parts of the country.
Trump, who announced the decision in a post on his Truth Social account on Friday, said the move was in response to what he called “the existential threat faced by Christians in Nigeria” and the alleged inaction of the authorities to halt the killings.
He wrote that thousands of Christians had been “slaughtered by radical Islamists” and that the U.S. “cannot remain silent while innocent people are targeted for their faith.”
The redesignation, made under America’s International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), places Nigeria among a list of countries accused of severe violations of religious freedom and could pave the way for U.S. sanctions or restrictions.
The move marks a reversal of position since 2021 when Nigeria was removed from the list by President Joe Biden’s administration, which argued that the country had made progress in promoting religious tolerance.
However, as of the time of filing this report, the presidency has maintained silence on the latest development.
Efforts by our correspondent to obtain comments from presidential spokesmen proved abortive. Messages sent to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, were not replied to. Similarly, messages to the special adviser media and communications, Sunday Dare, and the special adviser to the President on policy communication, Daniel Bwala, were unanswered.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has for years struggled with religiously tinged violence in its Middle Belt and northern regions, where extremist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have targeted both Christian and Muslim communities.
As of press time, the Presidency had not issued any official statement addressing the U.S. decision or clarifying Nigeria’s position on the allegations of religious persecution.
Efforts made to get the reaction of the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) were unsuccessful as calls made to the telephone number of its Secretary-General, Professor Ishaq Oloyede were not connected.
Alsoo, calls made to the telephone number of the Deputy Secretary-General, Professor Salisu Shehu were not answered.
Recall That the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) recently issued an urgent call to the federal government, demanding transparent and equitable action to halt the violent attacks targeting Christian communities and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The demand was contained in a statement signed by the National President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in response to the escalating insecurity and national conversations on faith-based violence.
Okoh stated that the association has followed the recent discourse with “deep concern,” emphasising the need to “speak clearly, truthfully, and with compassion” at such a critical time.
“CAN affirms, without hesitation, that many Christian communities in parts of Nigeria, especially in the North, have suffered severe attacks, loss of life, and the destruction of places of worship,” Okoh stated.
The CAN president detailed the association’s sustained, multi-year efforts to draw international attention to the persecution, including establishing mechanisms to document religiously-motivated killings, engaging with global partners, and writing to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Can also recently accused the federal government of distorting facts after its meeting with the presidency recently.
CAN accused the Presidency of twisting facts and misrepresenting its position on the ongoing killings of Christians across the country, insisting that what is happening in several parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt amounts to a ‘Christian genocide’.
In a statement signed by Archbishop Okoh, CAN said that it did not, at any point, dismiss or describe the widespread killings as a ‘so-called Christian genocide’, as claimed in a press release reportedly issued by Barr. Daniel Bwala, special adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication.
However, the Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, refuted allegations of an ongoing genocide against Christians in the North.
The monarch also described such claims as unfounded and aimed at dividing the nation.
Also, the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, who spoke in Abuja on Monday at the National Unveiling of the World Public Relations Forum, said the claim was part of a foreign-sponsored campaign to sow division and weaken Nigeria’s unity.
Speaking at the General Assembly of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, the Sultan said Christians and Muslims have lived together peacefully in the region for generations
