Nigerian Catholics cheer Trump’s CPC redesignation amid threats of U.S. action against jihadist violence killing thousands of Christians.
Newsroom (03/11/2025, Gaudium Press ) Nigerian Catholics expressed jubilation over U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for religious freedom violations, even as the president issued bellicose warnings of potential military action against Islamist extremists perpetrating violence against Christians.
Trump announced the CPC designation on Friday via his Truth Social platform, describing Christianity in Nigeria as facing an “existential threat” from “radical Islamists” responsible for “mass slaughter.” The move reverses the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to remove Nigeria from the list, which had been added in December 2020 during Trump’s first term.
On Saturday, Trump escalated his rhetoric, directing military leaders to “prepare for possible action” and threatening to halt all U.S. aid to Nigeria. “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists,” he posted. He added: “If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet… WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!”
The CPC label, administered by the U.S. State Department, flags nations engaging in “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.” Nigeria joins countries including China, Russia, Pakistan, Myanmar, and North Korea on the list.
Local Church Leaders Celebrate
Fr. Moses Iorapuu, director of communications for the Makurdi Diocese and editor of The Catholic Star newspaper, told Crux the redesignation brought indescribable relief. “The glory goes to God, who has used President Trump as the Moses who… appeared at the palace of Pharaoh to set his people free,” he said, likening Trump to the biblical liberator.
Emeka Umeagbalasi, a criminologist and chairman of the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), described the global reaction among religious freedom advocates as akin to “winning a world cup.” He emphasized that the designation benefits not only Christians but also moderate Muslims and adherents of indigenous faiths targeted by extremists.
Violence Statistics Paint Grim Picture
Intersociety’s latest reports document staggering tolls. From Jan. 1 to July 29, 2025, at least 7,087 Christians were killed—a daily average of 32—while nearly 8,000 were abducted for their faith. Between Aug. 10 and Oct. 26, another 100 Christians were massacred and 120 kidnapped. Since 2009, over 185,000 Nigerians have died in ethno-religious violence, including 125,009 Christians and 60,000 “liberal Muslims” opposing jihadist ideology. More than 19,100 churches have been destroyed, 20,000 square miles of Christian land annexed, and over 600 clerics abducted.
The violence stems primarily from Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani jihadist herdsmen—22 groups in total, per Intersociety—aiming to eradicate Nigeria’s estimated 112 million Christians and 13 million traditional believers within 50 years.
Vatican and Nigerian Hierarchy Draw Criticism
The redesignation follows frustration among Nigerian Christians after Vatican meetings yielded no strong condemnation. At the Oct. 12 launch of Aid to the Church in Need’s Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin called the violence “not a religious conflict, but rather more a social one,” citing herder-farmer disputes. He noted Muslims also suffer from extremists who “make no distinctions.”
Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto, long a vocal critic of government inaction, surprised observers by opposing CPC redesignation, arguing it would harm interfaith dialogue and President Bola Tinubu’s efforts. Kukah highlighted daily interfaith coexistence in Sokoto, where he moves freely in clerical attire and receives support from the Sultan.
Critics were scathing. Umeagbalasi called Kukah’s stance “incomprehensible,” noting his diocese “is crumbling under the weight of Jihadist attacks.” Fr. Augustine Ikenna Anwuchie, a missionary in Niger, accused Kukah of falling into an “elite trap” prioritizing Nigeria’s image over truth. “His first loyalty should be to truth and justice, not to political image-management,” Anwuchie said.
U.S. Lawmakers Push Accountability
U.S. lawmakers have amplified pressure. Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) wrote Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Oct. 6 urging suspension of arms sales until Nigeria protects minorities. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act in September, seeking sanctions on officials enabling jihadist violence.
Nigerian Government Rejects Narrative
Nigerian officials pushed back forcefully. Presidential aide Dada Olusegun called U.S. lawmakers “ignorant” on X, insisting “no faith is under siege.” Information Minister Mohammed Idris labeled persecution claims a “gross misrepresentation,” stressing terrorists target all faiths.
The Nigerian Senate introduced a motion, sponsored by Sen. Mohammed Ndume and others, to counter the “Christian genocide” narrative as a “dangerous misrepresentation” ignoring impacts on all communities.
Broader Implications
With Nigeria’s 238 million people split roughly evenly between Muslims (north) and Christians (south), analysts warn unchecked ethno-religious conflict could trigger unmanageable humanitarian catastrophe. Twelve northern states incorporate sharia despite a constitutional secular mandate, fueling Christian marginalization through land denials, church rebuild refusals, and restricted religious education.
As Trump’s threats hang in the air, Nigerian Christians see the CPC label as a lifeline—though whether it prompts Nigerian action or U.S. intervention remains uncertain.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
Related Images:
