United States President Donald Trump has issued repeated warnings regarding what he describes as an existential threat against Christianity in Nigeria, stating the U.S. cannot stand by while such alleged atrocities occur. The White House, through a post on X, shared a video featuring Trump's earlier remarks about an alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, asserting that thousands of Christians were being killed. The accompanying text emphasized the U.S.'s readiness, willingness, and ability to save “our Great Christian Population around the World!” Trump had previously designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) and threatened military action against the nation, citing ongoing violence against Christians and the Nigerian government's purported failure to protect religious minorities.

However, the Nigerian government has strongly denied any persecution of religious groups. Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissed claims of genocide as “flawed and unreasonable” during an interview. Morka asserted that no ongoing genocide existed in Nigeria, attributing the violence in certain regions to non-state actors rather than government forces. He emphasized that while Nigeria faces genuine security challenges, they are under control, with the government proactively confronting terrorism and protecting civilians. Morka also highlighted a steep decline in terror-related attacks and casualties under President Bola Tinubu's administration, commending the military's counterterrorism efforts.

Morka, an international relations expert, urged Washington to collaborate strategically with Nigeria, sharing intelligence and supporting its fight against terror, rather than acting unilaterally. He cautioned that without proper partnership, any U.S. intervention could destabilize the region and potentially impact Europe and North America. He also criticized the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for hypocrisy, noting that Boko Haram emerged during their tenure and they failed to eradicate it. Morka concluded by appealing to the international community to support, not condemn, Nigeria, reaffirming Nigeria's commitment as a sovereign democracy to peace and development.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, commented that Nigeria brought the embarrassment of being designated a CPC and threatened by Trump upon itself. In an interview, Falana questioned why Nigeria was being treated as a “neocolony” of the United States and called the development a “wake-up call” for Nigeria to “put its house in order.”

Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka claimed he foresaw such actions from the Donald Trump administration, including the mass revocation of visas and green cards. Soyinka, whose own U.S. visa was recently revoked, expressed no shock, describing Trump as a “petty-minded dictator.” He noted a rise in extrajudicial killings of black people and minorities during Trump’s campaign due to his “hate rhetoric” and predicted Trump would cancel green cards upon assuming power, observing a “dark side of the American side” during that period.