Faith Leaders Thank President Trump for Decisive Action on Nigeria’s Christian Persecution Crisis
48 Religious Freedom Experts Unite in Support of Country of Particular Concern Designation
The Crisis in Numbers
The letter urges continued United States’ leadership on international religious freedom. In it, signatories emphasize that swift action from the U.S. is indispensable as Christians in Nigeria continue to face relentless violence from terrorist groups.
Nigeria remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. Since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009, estimates indicate that between 50,000 and 100,000 Christians have lost their lives due to religiously motivated violence.
In the central regions of Benue and Plateau States, the situation has worsened dramatically, with more than 9,500 people, mostly Christians, killed between May 2023 and May 2025.
Watch: The Reality of Christian Persecution in Nigeria
The administration’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern is a momentous step forward for international religious freedom. Christians and other vulnerable communities in Nigeria have endured unthinkable violence for far too long. While there is still much work ahead, this decisive action renews hope that real protection and accountability are on the horizon.
Four Key Policy Goals for Nigeria
The letter reflects a unified commitment to four recommended policy goals that Nigeria, following increased pressure from the U.S., should commit to if it is to be removed from the CPC designation:
- Increased Security: Reliable early warning systems for Christian communities, particularly in the Middle Belt where Fulani militant attacks are the worst
- Swift Prosecution: Attackers must be brought to justice without delay
- Safe Return: Facilitating the safe return of internally-displaced persons to their homes
- Repeal Blasphemy Laws: Repealing the country’s draconian Sharia blasphemy laws that enable persecution
🤝 Distinguished Signatories
The letter was developed through the CPAC Christian Persecution Coalition and includes top leaders in the movement to end global Christian persecution:
• Kristen Waggoner – Alliance Defending Freedom President & CEO
• Matt and Mercedes Schlapp – CPAC Foundation
• Frank Wolf – Former Congressman
• Sarah Makin – Former Senior Advisor to the President on International Religious Freedom
• Tony Perkins – President of Family Research Council, Former Chair of USCIRF
• Penny Nance – President & CEO of Concerned Women for America
• Kelsey Reinhardt – President & CEO of CatholicVote
• Nina Shea – Director of Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom
• And many others
Victory Stories: ADF International’s Legal Support
ADF International continues to advocate for Christians and other religious minorities who face severe persecution across Nigeria. The organization has supported multiple individuals targeted under blasphemy laws or attacked for their faith.
✅ Rhoda Jatau
Case: Christian mother imprisoned for 19 months after allegedly sharing a video condemning the brutal lynching of Christian college student Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu.
Outcome: Fully acquitted in December 2024 with legal support from ADF International.
✅ David (Name Changed)
Case: Christian man wrongfully convicted and tortured after helping a convert escape violent threats.
Outcome: Nigerian High Court overturned his conviction, acknowledging the injustices he endured.
⏳ Yahaya Sharif-Aminu
Case: Sufi musician imprisoned for over five years after a WhatsApp message deemed blasphemous. Once sentenced to death.
Status: Awaiting Supreme Court hearing. His case has the potential to abolish Nigeria’s harsh blasphemy laws.
🌍 A Global Crisis Beyond Nigeria
The coalition letter underscores that the crisis in Nigeria reflects a broader global trend of growing hostility toward Christians.
“We see atrocities and grave violations being committed worldwide, from Nicaragua to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, from Algeria to Syria to China, and in so many other places.”
The letter also highlights Algeria, where nearly every Protestant church has been closed by the government. Pastor Youssef Ourahmane faces prosecution before the country’s Supreme Court for leading Christian worship, with a potential prison sentence.
Even in democratic societies, Christians increasingly face pressure. Cases like Päivi Räsänen in Finland and Adam Smith-Connor in the United Kingdom show how legal and social pressures are mounting against Christians, even in places where religious freedom is traditionally protected.
“We commend your recognition of the major threat and devastation facing Christians in Nigeria from radical Islamists and a government that has taken little action to protect them, as well as your clear-eyed statements placing all available Presidential actions on the table to ensure that action is taken soon,” the letter reads.
Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for ADF International, stated: “The numbers we have seen in Nigeria are alarming. With the renewed CPC designation for Nigeria, we are hopeful that this will bring about real change. The letter to the president, which ADF International gladly has joined, acknowledges the horrors that Christians have faced for years and paints a picture of what a path toward protecting them and religious freedom for all can look like.”
The Call to Action
“The U.S. should stand as a beacon for the fundamental right to religious freedom and a voice for persecuted Christians globally, because if we do not stand, no one else will.”
The letter urges President Trump to “continue to make the defense of religious freedom internationally a core U.S. foreign policy priority” and to “continue and even elevate” the defense of persecuted Christians worldwide.
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