Nigerian Christians have spoken out to express their gratitude for President Donald Trump’s successful strike on Islamic terrorists there on Christmas Day, and to urge greater international attention for the genocide of Christians in the country.
Christmas Day is often a day of fear for Nigerian Christians, since Islamic terrorists like to attack Christians gathered for religious holidays. But this past Christmas, it was a day of victory, as the United States conducted a successful strike on ISIS jihadis. And many Christians in the violence-plagued nation are grateful to the Trump administration for taking decisive action on their behalf.
One man who said many of his fellow Christians have seen loved ones “beheaded like chickens” and “houses set ablaze with the family members all inside” now “absolutely want Western intervention” such as Trump’s strike.
International Christian Concern (ICC) spoke to multiple Nigerian Christians on this topic, publishing the comments this week. While ICC was obviously reluctant to endorse Trump‘s strike fully, asserting that it could cause yet more complications in the country, the Nigerians it quoted were overwhelmingly positive on the American strike.
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One man, whom ICC referred to under the false name “Daniel,” said “Truly, we wish we could handle this ourselves,” but unfortunately, the authorities in his country are not interested in aggressively addressing the threat of Islamic terrorism that has cost tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions in the last decade. He believes Trump’s “concern to assist the people in our region is good news to our region, and we want it as quickly as possible.”
Pastor Emmanuel Ochayi says that some of his flock are concerned about revenge as a reaction to Western intervention, but said most Christians he knows were excited at the strike. “A significant number of Nigerian Christians welcome international attention,” stated Ochayi.
He explained that many Nigerian Christians, especially those who live in vulnerable rural communities, have “felt unheard and invisible” and that “their suffering does not receive the urgency it deserves.” With up to 90% of the attacks on Christians in Nigeria religiously motivated, particularly fueled by Islam, it is disgusting that more Western leaders have not decried the violence. Trump is setting a worthy example for others to follow.
Ochayi highlighted the religious factor in the ongoing genocide, since many Western media outlets ignore that. The terrorism “has a strong religious or ideological component, even when attackers frame [it] as land disputes or banditry.” Nigerian Christians, he said, “want the international community to support justice, good governance, intelligence sharing, humanitarian relief, and institutional reform — while respecting Nigeria’s sovereignty.”
A Christian ICC called “Andrew” was more emphatically enthusiastic about Trump‘s strike, warning, however, that it must not be a one-time event, but emblematic of a consistent policy to support Christians in Nigeria. “I think they will stop attacking Christians if the strike is not just a one-off event,” Andrew said of the terrorists, arguing “having more of such strikes against the jihadists will go a long way in preventing future attacks.”
It was Andrew who emphasized to ICC that many other Christians he knows have seen family members slaughtered and are eager for Western intervention. He thinks that Trump could also bring pressure to bear on the Nigerian government to take action. “These are not just mere scenarios or fictions. Real people had to go through these things, and a lot are still going through them,” Andrew appealed for help.
The terrorists who have massacred Christians in Nigeria with impunity for so many years now know that their victims have a powerful ally.
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