US UN Ambassador Declares Attacks on Nigerian Christians ‘Genocide’

United States ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, on Tuesday described the recent killings of Christians in Nigeria as “genocide wearing the mask of chaos,” during an event hosted by the United States Mission to the UN highlighting religious violence in the country.

“There is a body of evidence, and you will hear from our experts today, that paints a grim picture of disproportionate suffering among Christians, where families are torn apart, clergy repeatedly assassinated, and entire church congregations targeted,” Waltz said. “An entire faith is being erased—one bullet at a time, one torched Bible at a time.”

The event also featured Grammy-winning rapper Nicki Minaj, who condemned the attacks and urged urgent international intervention. “In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes, and killed. Churches have been burned, families torn apart, and entire communities live in fear, simply because of how they pray,” she said.

Minaj stressed that protecting Nigerian Christians was not about politics or division, but “uniting humanity” against injustice. “Sadly, this problem is not limited to Nigeria; it affects many countries worldwide and demands urgent action,” she added.

Her remarks came days after former U.S. President Donald Trump, via Truth Social, threatened to deploy American troops “guns-a-blazing” to Nigeria to “completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists committing these horrible atrocities” and warned of halting all aid if the violence persisted.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu responded, emphasising that his administration has engaged both Christian and Muslim leaders to address nationwide security challenges. “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our reality, nor the government’s sincere efforts to safeguard freedom of religion for all Nigerians,” Tinubu wrote on X. “Religious freedom and tolerance remain central to our national identity.”

Open Doors, an international Christian advocacy organization, noted that attacks targeting Christians have been concentrated in northern, Muslim-majority states but are spreading to the Middle Belt and southern regions. The group reported that victims face killings, kidnappings, and sexual violence, often at the hands of Islamist militants, including Fulani herders and Boko Haram.

The UN event spotlighted the need for coordinated global action to protect religious minorities in Nigeria and other countries where faith communities face targeted violence.