October 9, 2025
By Tobi Akinnubi
Erik Prince, founder of the controversial private military company Blackwater, has announced plans to establish a private defense initiative aimed at protecting Christians in Nigeria from militant attacks.
In a statement reported by La Gaceta and shared across his verified social media pages, Prince said the project would provide “organized, professional defense” for persecuted Christian communities facing violence from groups linked to ISIS and other Islamist militants.
Prince, who has a long history in private security operations across Africa and the Middle East, also appealed to the Vatican for financial support to fund the mission.
“Why not help my brothers protect Nigerian Christians from the Muslims who are massacring them?” he was quoted as saying, directly addressing Pope Leo XIV. “Persecuted communities need defense, not just prayers and press releases.”
The former Navy SEAL argued that thousands of Christians have been killed in Nigeria this year alone, describing the situation as a humanitarian crisis that requires direct intervention.
While Prince has not released operational details or confirmed whether he has obtained authorization from Nigerian authorities, his comments have sparked fresh debate about the role of private military contractors in religious or humanitarian conflicts.
As of press time, neither the Vatican nor the Nigerian government had issued an official response to Prince’s proposal.
Prince, 55, founded Blackwater (now known as Academi) in 1997. The company gained global attention for its involvement in U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and later faced widespread criticism over the killing of civilians by its contractors in Baghdad in 2007.
