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Trump cites alleged “mass slaughter” of Christians by extremists.
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Nigeria joins list of countries accused of violating religious freedom.
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Faith groups urge Abuja to respond to global outrage over killings.
Former United States President Donald Trump has designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over what he described as widespread persecution and genocide against Christians.
Writing on his Truth Social account on Friday, Trump said Christianity was facing an “existential threat” in Nigeria and called for immediate international attention to the crisis.
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He declared that “thousands of Christians are being killed,” blaming radical Islamist groups for what he termed “mass slaughter.”
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According to Trump, the move places Nigeria — Africa’s most populous nation and biggest oil producer — on a list of countries the US government considers to be violating religious freedom. The State Department’s CPC list includes China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan, among others.
Trump said he had directed US Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, as well as the House Appropriations Committee, to investigate the matter and report back to him.
Christian advocacy groups have repeatedly accused successive Nigerian governments of failing to protect believers from extremist attacks, particularly in the North and Middle Belt regions.
Meanwhile, religious freedom organisations in Washington say Nigeria’s return to the CPC list signals renewed international scrutiny over its human rights record.
