By: Ademola Adekusibe
November 19, 2025
Rapper Nicki Minaj has teamed up with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, to spotlight what they describe as the “systematic targeting” of Christians in Nigeria.
Speaking at an event hosted by the United States Mission to the United Nations in New York City, Minaj warned that Christians in Nigeria are being violently persecuted, driven from their homes, and killed simply for practicing their faith. She said entire communities live in fear, churches have been burned, families torn apart, and women subjected to sexual violence.
“In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed. Churches have been burned. Families have been torn apart and entire communities live in fear constantly, simply because of how they pray,” Minaj told attendees. “Protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It is about uniting humanity.”
Waltz amplified the warning, describing the killings as a “genocide wearing the mask of chaos.” He said there is a body of evidence that shows disproportionate suffering among Christians, with repeated assassinations of clergy and attacks on congregations. “We have an entire faith that is being erased. One bullet at a time, one torched Bible at a time,” Waltz said.
The event comes after Trump, in a post on Truth Social earlier this month, threatened to deploy U.S. troops “guns-a-blazing” to Nigeria to “completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.” Trump also warned that continued violence could lead to the suspension of all U.S. aid and assistance to the country.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu responded on social media, rejecting the characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant. He emphasized that his administration works with leaders of all faiths to safeguard citizens and maintain religious freedom.
Open Doors, an international Christian organization, corroborates that Christians in Nigeria are increasingly at risk, particularly in northern, Muslim-majority states and the Middle Belt. The group reports that attacks have begun to spread further south, with Fulani fighters and Boko Haram cited as the main perpetrators. Women and girls are reportedly facing sexual violence in addition to the killings.
The partnership between Nicki Minaj and Waltz brings global celebrity attention to what they describe as one of the most urgent humanitarian crises in Africa today. Their warning raises questions about Nigeria’s ability to protect its citizens and the potential for international intervention if attacks continue unabated.
