Juliet Jacob 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Waltz, has accused armed groups in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern region of carrying out what he describes as “genocide wearing the mask of chaos,” targeting Christian worshippers, clergy and communities.
Speaking at a UN forum on global religious freedom on Tuesday, Waltz said attacks on Christians have intensified, with churches torched, families displaced and pastors beheaded “for preaching the Sermon on the Mount.”
The event, titled Combatting Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria, also featured American musician Nicki Minaj, who joined the call for urgent action.
“In the Middle Belt and in the North, churches burn, mothers bury their children for the crime of singing Amazing Grace. Entire villages wake up to gunfire because they dare to call Jesus their Lord,” Waltz said. He added that Nigerians are increasingly detained under blasphemy laws “for simply wearing a cross.”
Waltz referenced international monitoring reports, noting that Nigeria now accounts for “80 per cent of violence against Christians worldwide,” according to the NGO Open Doors.
He praised President Donald Trump for elevating the crisis on the global stage, saying, “He reminded the world that protecting Christians is not about politics. It is a moral duty.”
Minaj said the killings reflect a wider global assault on religious liberty. “Christians in Nigeria are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed. Entire communities live in constant fear simply because of how they pray,” she said.
The event followed Trump’s criticism of what he called “an ongoing Christian genocide” in Nigeria and his announcement that the country would be designated a “Country of Particular Concern.”
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Koko Maxwella 