Isaac Samuel
As tensions between the United States and the Nigerian government escalate over claims of persecution against Christians in Nigeria, leading opposition figures Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have maintained a conspicuous silence.
President Donald Trump, on Friday, warned that Christians in Nigeria are facing an “existential threat” and accused radical Islamist groups of carrying out mass killings.
He further declared Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations and threatened to halt U.S. aid and, if necessary, deploy military action to address the alleged atrocities.
In the post, the US President wrote, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern.’
“But that is the least of it. 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”.
Trump, on Saturday, further warned that U.S. forces could intervene “guns-a-blazing” if the Nigerian government fails to act against what he described as the killing of Christians by Islamist groups.
But President Bola Tinubu dismissed Trump’s characterization of Nigeria as hostile to religious freedom, reiterating that the country “opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.”
The latest face-off came amid claims circulating since early October suggesting Christians in Nigeria face a systematic threat.
Despite their track record of commenting on national and international matters, both Atiku and Obi have not publicly addressed the allegations or Trump’s threat.
A review of their official social media handles on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, platforms where they typically weigh in on matters of national concern, shows that in the past few weeks, while the issue dominated public discourse, neither issued statements, reactions, nor engaged in any discussions related to the matter.
Observers say their non-comment may be a calculated political move, given the sensitivity of the allegations, which have also been rejected by Nigeria’s Senate and House of Representatives.
While Atiku and Obi have remained silent on the matter, Former presidential candidate and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore that foreign military intervention would be perilous for the country.
Sowore argued that whether one is Christian, Muslim, animist, or non-religious, celebrating such threats is dangerous, citing the destabilising impact of U.S. interventions in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria.
He stated that Nigeria’s salvation lies not in foreign powers but in accountable, legitimate leadership that protects all citizens, upholds justice, and breaks cycles of corruption and violence, adding that deliverance must come from within rather than from external actors.
The genocide claim against christians started when the U.S. Senator Ted Cruz introduced legislation to sanction the Nigerian government over alleged persecution of Christians, citing decades-long attacks by extremist groups
Cruz, a Republican, claimed that extremist groups have been going house to house, hunting down Christians for decades, killing wives, children, and Catholic priests in an attempt to rid the country of Christians.
He accused the Nigerian federal government of facilitating this anti-Christian crusade. His bill, titled “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025,” seeks a US sanction on the country.
A member of the US House of Representatives, Riley Moore, tagged Nigeria the deadliest country in the world for Christians.
Moore, also a Republican, had said that he had written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding that the US use every diplomatic tool to stop what he described as the “slaughter of Christians.
