The leader of a Nigerian mission has expressed that President Donald Trump’s initiative to halt violence against Christians in Nigeria is a welcomed development, describing it as an “answered prayer.”
Andrew Gwaivangmin, who serves as the executive secretary for the Nigeria Evangelical Missions Association, shared with Fox News that the Christian community is “excited” by Trump’s focus on curbing the ongoing violence against believers after enduring years of bloodshed.
“We have repeatedly appealed to the international community to pressure our government into action. This is the first time America is directing its attention to the violence in Nigeria. As a Christian, I am truly excited,” Gwaivangmin remarked.
He continued, “I am pleased that Trump is committed to ending this violence. Anyone opposing Trump’s involvement clearly does not grasp the severity and reality of the violence that has ravaged northern Nigeria over the past decade.”
On April 21, 2025, Catholics gathered for Mass at the Church of the Assumption in Lagos, amid rising tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed warnings of potential military intervention in Nigeria over the killings of Christians. (Photo by Olympia De Maismont/AFP via Getty Images)
In a November post on Truth Social, Trump threatened to deploy U.S. troops “guns-a-blazing” to Nigeria, aiming to “eradicate the Islamic Terrorists responsible for these horrific acts.” He also warned of halting all aid and assistance if the violence continued.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu responded to Trump’s threat, writing on social media that his administration has worked with Christian and Muslim leaders to address security challenges affecting citizens across all faiths and regions.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians,” he wrote on X.
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.”
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu speaks with his aide during the 64th ECOWAS Heads of State and Government ordinary session in Abuja on Dec. 10, 2023. (Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images)
Open Doors, an international Christian organization that supports persecuted believers, said attacks are most common in the northern, Muslim-majority states of Nigeria but have started spreading into the Middle Belt and further south.
The organization stated that Christians are at risk from targeted attacks by Islamist militants, including Fulani fighters and Boko Haram. Women are often killed and subjected to sexual violence.
Gwaivangmin told Fox News that many of his organization’s missionaries have been attacked and killed.
“We’ve had casualties. We’ve had to bury our missionaries. Our missionaries have to directly relocate. In fact, I can tell you that today, we have hundreds of widows whose husbands have been killed in their field as missionaries,” he said.
Catholics gather for Mass at the Church of the Assumption in Lagos on April 21, 2025. (Olympia De Maismont/AFP via Getty Images)
“It’s not easy to be a Christian in Nigeria, and sadly, our government doesn’t seem to care to hold people accountable for all the killings, the mass killings that occur in this country,” Gwaivangmin added.
The leader of the largest global missions organization for the Nigerian Christian church said he would welcome U.S. military involvement to help end the violence. He believes having American boots on the ground isn’t realistic, but hopes the United States can provide logistical support and equipment to strengthen Nigeria’s forces.
