UNITED NATIONS — Rapper Nicki Minaj has thrown her support behind President Donald Trump’s assertion that Christians are facing persecution in Nigeria, using her platform at a United Nations event to highlight attacks on churches and families.
“In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted. Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart … simply because of how they pray,” Minaj said during a panel organized by the U.S. mission. She described her stance as a call to “unite humanity” rather than divide people, insisting that protecting Christians in Nigeria is about standing against injustice.
Her remarks came days after Trump warned that the United States could send troops into Nigeria “guns a-blazing” if the government “continues to allow the killing of Christians.”
The Nigerian presidency rejected Trump’s framing, saying violence in the country affects everyone — Muslims, Christians, and others — and is not limited to one faith. Officials pointed to banditry, farmer–herder clashes, and terrorism as drivers of insecurity that cut across religious lines.
Families of victims in Nigeria expressed mixed feelings. Some Christian families welcomed Minaj’s comments, saying international attention could pressure the government to act. “We have cried for years. Maybe now the world will listen,” said a pastor in Plateau State.
Community leaders, however, cautioned against oversimplification. “Our villages suffer attacks whether we are Christian or Muslim. This is about insecurity, not just religion,” one elder in Kaduna noted.
Human rights groups added nuance, stressing that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of violence. “Yes, churches have been burned, but mosques too. The crisis is broader than persecution of one faith,” Amnesty International’s Nigeria office explained.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz praised Minaj for “leveraging her massive platform to spotlight atrocities against Christians in Nigeria.” But Nigerian officials reiterated that the government is working to address insecurity nationwide. “We reject any narrative that pits one religion against another,” a presidential spokesperson said.
Diaspora voices also weighed in. Nigerian communities abroad expressed concern that Trump’s rhetoric could inflame tensions. “We need solutions, not threats of military intervention,” said a UK‑based advocacy group.
Nigeria has faced years of insecurity, including Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgencies in the northeast, mass kidnappings in the northwest, and farmer–herder conflicts in the Middle Belt. These crises have displaced thousands and left both Christian and Muslim communities vulnerable.
