By Enemona Samuel Endurance | The Bureau News
ABUJA — Nigeria News Today: A prominent Nigerian Christian leader has described U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to launch military action against Nigeria over the persecution of Christians as “an answered prayer.”
Andrew Gwaivangmin, Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Evangelical Missions Association (NEMA), told Fox News that Christians in Nigeria are “excited” that Washington is finally prioritizing efforts to stop the killings of believers after years of bloodshed in the country’s north.
“We have cried out to the international community to force our government to do the right thing,” Gwaivangmin said.
“This is the only time that America is focusing its attention on this violence in Nigeria. So, as a Christian, I’m excited. I’m happy that Trump is focusing on ensuring that this violence stops.”
He added that those opposing Trump’s intervention “do not understand the gravity of the violence that has occurred in northern Nigeria over the last decade.”
Trump’s Threat and Tinubu’s Reaction
President Donald Trump, in a recent post on his Truth Social platform, threatened to send U.S. troops “guns-a-blazing” into Nigeria to “completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists” responsible for the widespread killings. He also vowed to suspend U.S. aid if the violence continued.
In response, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu defended Nigeria’s record on religious freedom, insisting his administration engages both Christian and Muslim leaders to address national security challenges.
“The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” Tinubu wrote on X.
“Nigeria opposes religious persecution and safeguards the freedom of all faiths.”
Christian Organizations Warn of Worsening Attacks
Global Christian watchdog Open Doors International said attacks on Christians remain widespread, particularly in northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, with many believers killed, displaced, or subjected to sexual violence by extremist groups like Boko Haram and Fulani militants.
Gwaivangmin said his organization has lost several missionaries to attacks and continues to face constant threats.
“We’ve had casualties. We’ve buried missionaries. Today, we have hundreds of widows whose husbands were killed in the field,” he said.
“It’s not easy to be a Christian in Nigeria. Sadly, our government doesn’t seem to care about accountability for these killings.”
Calls for U.S. Support
While acknowledging that a direct U.S. military intervention may not be realistic, Gwaivangmin urged Washington to provide logistical and intelligence support to help Nigerian forces combat religiously motivated violence.
“If America can provide equipment and intelligence to strengthen our army, that alone will save lives,” he said, calling for urgent global cooperation to protect Nigeria’s Christian population.
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