Tinubu rejects Trump’s claim, says Nigeria noes not persecute christians

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dismissed comments by former United States President Donald Trump, who recently claimed that Nigeria is unsafe for Christians. Tinubu firmly rejected the assertion, stressing that Nigeria does not tolerate religious persecution in any form.

The President issued his response in a statement posted on his official social media account on Saturday. This followed Trump’s move a day earlier to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged religious freedom violations.

Trump had alleged that Christians in Nigeria were under severe threat, saying, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed.”

In his reaction, President Tinubu stressed that Nigeria remains a democratic nation guided by constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.

“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.

“Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions.

“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.

“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.

“Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths. Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths.”

Trump’s comments have drawn widespread attention both within Nigeria and abroad, with many observers describing the U.S. politician’s statement as misinformed and potentially inflammatory.