“A Genocide Is Happening”: 35 Christian Leaders Urge Trump to Declare Nigeria CPC
Coalition demands Country of Particular Concern designation as violence against Christians reaches catastrophic levels
In response to the ongoing widespread massacre of Christians being carried out by numerous Islamist militia groups in Nigeria, a coalition of 35 religious freedom advocates and Christian leaders sent a letter to President Donald Trump Wednesday urging him to redesignate the West African nation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
Nigeria, the most populous nation on the African continent, has been home to the targeting and murdering of Christians on a scale not seen anywhere else in the world.
The Scale of Persecution
Nigerian organization Intersociety estimates
The Letter and Its Signatories
Key Coalition Leaders
The letter observed that the Nigerian government “is directly violating religious freedom by enforcing Islamic blasphemy laws that carry the death penalty and harsh prison sentences against citizens of various religions. It also demonstrably tolerates relentless aggression uniquely against Christian farming families by militant Fulani Muslim herders, who appear intent on forcibly Islamizing the Middle Belt.”
The Perpetrators
Islamist Groups Targeting Christians
- Fulani Herders — Militant Muslim herders attacking Christian farming communities
- Boko Haram — Islamic extremist terrorist organization
- Islamic State Affiliates — ISIS-linked terror groups
- Al Qaeda-linked Groups — Various affiliated militant organizations
The letter notes that Fulani herders are the “biggest threat facing Nigeria’s Christians.”
Last month, it was reported that the group is also kidnapping dozens of Christians and holding them in at least 11 hostage camps “in the vast forest south of Kaduna.” If the hostages’ families cannot provide a ransom payment, the victims are executed.
Escalating Violence in 2025
The genocidal pattern of the killings has increased dramatically this year compared to previous years. In August, it was reported that over 7,000 Christians had been killed, more than doubling the total from 2024 with four months still remaining.
What Is CPC Designation?
Country of Particular Concern
A CPC designation allows for a variety of economic sanctions to be imposed on a country in order to pressure its government to implement the rule of law and protect Christians and other religious minorities from violence.
The designation carries significant diplomatic weight and can embarrass governments on the international stage, providing leverage that pure diplomatic conversations often lack.
CPC Designation Timeline
Why Now?
Jacqueline Halbig von Schleppenbach, CEO and principal consultant at Sovereign Global Solutions who helped coordinate the coalition letter, told The Washington Stand that the timing of the letter is critical as the Trump administration mulls how to tackle the violence against Nigerian Christians.
Halbig von Schleppenbach went on to emphasize how useful a CPC designation can be toward convincing governments to change course.
The Stark Reality
The coalition letter arrives at a critical moment when the Nigerian government is actively lobbying against CPC designation, even as violence against Christians continues to escalate. With credible reports of daily atrocities, hostage camps, and systematic targeting of Christian communities, the coalition argues that diplomatic pressure alone has proven insufficient.
The question now is whether the Trump administration will heed the call of these 35 religious freedom advocates and reinstate Nigeria’s CPC designation — providing the leverage needed to compel the Nigerian government to protect its Christian citizens from what many are calling a genocide.
The Bottom Line
“A genocide is happening,” coalition leaders warn. With over 52,000 Christians murdered since 2009, more than 20,000 churches destroyed, and violence accelerating in 2025, the call for action has never been more urgent. The Trump administration faces a critical decision that could determine whether the international community will stand with persecuted Nigerian Christians or allow the violence to continue unchecked.
