Nigerian government dismisses Trump’s claim of Christian killings

Nigeria’s government has dismissed claims by United States President Donald Trump that it is allowing the “mass killings” of Christians by Islamists.

Trump made his accusation on social media on Friday, threatening possible US military action and saying Washington might cut off aid if Abuja failed to protect them.

He added that he would label Nigeria a “country of particular concern”, a designation given to nations “engaged in severe violations of religious freedom”.

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has defended his country's protection of religious freedom, saying the claims did not reflect its national reality.

The nation of more than 200 million people is split between the largely Muslim north and mostly Christian south.

A presidency spokesperson on Sunday said, however, that Nigeria would welcome US assistance in fighting an ongoing Islamist insurgency, as long as it territorial integrity was respected.

For over 15 years, Abuja has been fighting an Islamist insurgency which is largely confined to the northeast of the country.

While Christians have been killed, most of the victims have been Muslims.

Meanwhile, human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has cautioned against welcoming Trump’s threat of military intervention.

He said Washington had a long record of military interventions that left nations more unstable than before.