Tinubu rejects Trump’s claim of Christian persecution, says Nigeria remains committed to religious freedom

Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dismissed the United States’ decision to designate the country as “a country of particular concern” for alleged persecution of Christians, calling the move an inaccurate portrayal of Nigeria’s religious reality.

In a statement on social media on Saturday, Tinubu said Nigeria remains committed to upholding religious freedom and tolerance, which he described as core values of the nation’s identity.

“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” Tinubu said. “Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it. Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.”

The pushback came after former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” accusing “radical Islamists” of carrying out “mass slaughter.” Trump’s comments followed U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s appeal to Congress to classify Nigeria as a violator of religious freedom, citing alleged widespread killings of Christians.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with around 220 million people, is almost evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. The country continues to battle multiple security challenges, including attacks from Boko Haram, an Islamist extremist group that has targeted both Christians and Muslims it deems insufficiently devout.

Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives. There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes.

While Christians are among those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur.

Kimiebi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reiterated the commitment of Nigeria to protect citizens of all religions.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion,” Ebienfa said in a statement on Saturday. ”Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength.”

Nigeria was placed on the country of particular concern list by the U.S. for the first time in 2020 over what the State Department called “systematic violations of religious freedom.” The designation, which did not single out attacks on Christians, was lifted in 2023 in what observers saw as a way to improve ties between the countries ahead of then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit.

With inputs from agencies