The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, has ordered an urgent investigation into what he described as “reports of Christian genocide” in Nigeria.

In a statement released on his Truth Social account on Friday evening, President Trump expressed deep concern over what he termed the “mass slaughter” of Christians by radical Islamist groups in the country.

He announced that Nigeria had been designated a “Country of Particular Concern” — a classification that signals grave violations of religious freedom.

“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump said in the statement.

“When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria — 3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide — something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me,” he added.

The U.S. President stressed that Washington would not remain silent in the face of ongoing violence against Christian communities in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world,” the statement concluded.

Trump’s comments have drawn widespread attention globally, with analysts noting that his move could reignite international scrutiny on Nigeria’s security situation, especially the recurring attacks attributed to extremist groups and bandits in the country’s northern and central regions.

Pastor David Abioye condemned attempts to deny Christian killings in Nigeria and labelled those dismissing the crisis as wicked people

US envoy Massad Boulos dismissed genocide claims and said terrorism in Nigeria affected both Christians and Muslims

Abioye urged Christians to remain steadfast in faith despite persecution and called on God to strengthen believers.

A prominent Nigerian pastor and founder of Living Word Conquerors Global Assembly, David Abioye, has spoken out against what he described as attempts to deny the ongoing persecution and mass killings of Christians in Nigeria, describing those dismissing the crisis as “wicked people.”

The remarks come shortly after the United States Special Envoy for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, dismissed claims of an ongoing genocide against Christians in Nigeria.

Boulos, who serves as a senior adviser to former US President Donald Trump, stated during a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Friday, October 17, that terrorism in Nigeria affects both Christians and Muslims.

“Those people who are on the ground know that terrorism is religionless, colourless, and tribeless,” Boulos said. “People of all faiths and all nations are being killed because of terrorism. Boko Haram and ISIS have ended up killing more Muslims than Christians.” He added that many violent clashes in Nigeria’s Middle Belt are driven by competition for resources rather than religion. “It is not something that can be said to target any specific religious denomination,” he stated.

Addressing his congregation during a recent service, the pastor lamented the growing distortion surrounding reports of Christian killings in parts of the country. He accused some leaders of deliberately denying the atrocities for personal gain.

“There’s a lot of distortion going on. People are claiming there is no genocide against Christians in this nation. You see people buried in hundreds, and you say there is no genocide. What a wicked set of people!” he said passionately

He further warned that the violence, which has claimed thousands of lives in the country’s Middle Belt and northern regions, was gradually spreading southward. “This one is very clear,” he said. “Gradually, it is eating down to the South-South-West, South-East, and many so-called leaders, for their personal interest, are claiming it’s not happening. They are selling out their faith.”

The pastor, invoking the words of Jesus Christ, encouraged Christians not to lose faith in the face of persecution. “Jesus said, ‘When I come, will I find faith?’ We are standing here to say to Jesus, the faith will keep standing,” he declared. “Raise your voice and pray, Father, strengthen the brethren, strengthen the faith.”

The issue of Christian persecution in Nigeria has long been a point of contention between local religious leaders and international observers. While Christian groups maintain that their members are being deliberately targeted, some foreign officials insist that the violence is more complex and not purely religious.

Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners’ Chapel), has defended his ministry’s practices and origins, asserting that its founding and key decisions, including the acquisition of his private aircraft, were guided by direct divine instructions.

In a video clip circulating on social media, Bishop Oyedepo dismissed any claims of a “co-founder” of the ministry, stating, “This ministry has no co-founder. The first one to hear the mission is this young lady [pointing to his wife],” referring to his wife.

He said that all the founding principles and “12 pillars” of the commission were given to him directly by God, not by men.

The cleric also addressed the often-criticised topic of his private jets, asserting that the decision to acquire them was not his own.

“It was not a discussion. It was God who told me it’s time to get the aircraft,” he said.

Oyedepo also touched on the church’s employment policies, emphasising that the ministry is not run in a loose or informal manner.

He stated that all staff, regardless of their claims of a divine calling, must go through a formal process. “You write an application, you do an interview, you get an employment letter, you respond,” he said.