Trump angry about Christian killings in Nigeria, threatens aid cuts

President Donald Trump’s administration is stepping up its fight against violence against Christians in Nigeria this week, after Trump blasted the country’s government for doing “nothing” to stop the killings.

“It really makes me angry,” the president said on Fox News Radio on Friday. “What is happening in Nigeria is a shame.”

War Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Nigerian National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu last week amid Trump’s threats to cut off aid to Nigeria if he “continues to authorize the killing of Christians.” Nigerian authorities have rejected this accusation.

“Hegseth emphasized the need for Nigeria to demonstrate its commitment and take both urgent and lasting action to end violence against Christians and expressed the department’s desire to work by, with and through Nigeria to deter and degrade terrorists who threaten the United States,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

Trump threatens to cut off all US aid, carry out ‘vicious’ military attack in Nigeria over persecution of Christians

President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth are increasing pressure on Nigeria to end the massacre of Christians. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Jonathan Pratt, who heads the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, also testified before Congress on Thursday and said any Pentagon involvement would be part of a broader strategy.

“This would extend from security to policing to the economy,” he said. “We want to look at all of these tools and have an overall strategy to get the best possible outcome.”

Gunmen attack church in Nigeria, killing two and kidnapping others

Trinidadian-American rapper Nicki Minaj speaks during the panel discussion “Combating Religious Violence and the Murder of Christians in Nigeria” at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York, November 18, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

In Nigeria, recent incidents took place on Friday, with the mass kidnapping of more than 300 children and 12 teachers from a Catholic school, as well as a shooting in another church which left two dead. The armed men also kidnapped several worshipers from the church.

The main threat comes from the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, as well as its splinter branch, the Islamic State of West Africa. These groups primarily target Christians, although Muslims of other faiths also face attacks.

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On Tuesday, US Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, hosted an event highlighting the ongoing violence in Nigeria. At the event, Waltz called the killings of Christians in Nigeria a “genocide wearing the mask of chaos.” He was joined by rap superstar Nicki Minajwho called for religious freedom for all.

Rachel Wolf of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.