Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directly refuted claims made by US President Donald Trump alleging mass or targeted k!llings of Christians in Nigeria.
In an open letter posted on X on Wednesday, November 5, the Minister insisted that such accusations do not reflect the realities in the country and instead sought Trump’s cooperation to confront terr0r!sm.
Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and long-standing human rights lawyer, appealed to Trump to deepen collaboration with Nigeria in the f!ght against terr0r!sm rather than rely on what he described as inaccurate external narratives.
Keyamo, who noted he was born and raised as a Christian, reminded President Trump of his decades-long activism, including receiving the Global Human Rights Award in Washington in 2017.
He strongly pushed back against the international allegations: “It is simply not true that Christians are being specifically targeted in Nigeria for pers3cution, k!llings, or harassment on account of their faith.” He added, “It would have been unconscionable for me to serve in any government that targets Christians.”
The Minister explained that the violence Nigeria faces stems from extremist and cr!minal groups like Boko Haram, @rmed herdsmen, and cattle rustlers. He stressed that these security challenges predate the current administration and have affected citizens of all religious backgrounds.
Keyamo defended the federal government’s commitment to religious tolerance and the Nigerian Constitution, stating: “Nigeria is a secular state,” which “guarantees freedom of religion and prohibits the adoption of a state religion.”
Regarding Government Composition, he highlighted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite being Muslim, is widely regarded as a moderate leader with strong ties to the Christian community; his wife is a pastor in a major Pentecostal church, and many of his children are practicing Christians.
Furthermore, Keyamo pointed out that many of the Service Chiefs appointed by the President are Christians, arguing it would be illogical to claim they were complicit in any faith-based k!llings. He concluded by urging Trump and the U.S. government to seek more balanced information on Nigeria and collaborate with the Nigerian government to tackle the long-standing problems of terr0r!sm and insurgency.
“We ask that you broaden your sources of information to gain a balanced view of events in Nigeria,” he wrote, calling for strengthened bilateral ties and reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to peace.
