Eshiorameh Sebastian in Abuja
In a direct rebuttal to recent statement from the White House, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has dismissed the claims that Christians are being specifically targeted for killing in Nigeria on account of their faith.
In an open letter addressed to President Donald Trump, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria stated unequivocally, “It is simply not true,” that Christians face a targeted campaign of persecution. The minister, a Christian with a background in human rights activism, framed his letter as a necessary correction to the “purported ‘mass killings’ of Christians in Nigeria” which he said had “agitated” President Trump’s mind.
Mr Keyamo wrote the letter to add his “little voice” to the issue and provide a perspective he feels is missing from the international conversation, hoping it would be heard “even as a whimper.”
He stated that his own position in the government made him a credible witness to the situation. “Because of my strong Christian background and ethical pedigree, it would have been most unconscionable for me to associate with – let alone accept to serve or continue to serve – a government if truly there is any scintilla of truth in the assertion that Christians are SPECIFICALLY targeted in Nigeria for persecution, killings or harassment ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR FAITH,” he wrote.
The Minister acknowledged the country’s significant security challenges but attributed them to criminal insurgent groups rather than state-sanctioned religious persecution.
“Just like the U.S and many countries in the world, we have faced our own fair share of societal violence; ours has been perpetrated by deadly groups known as Boko Haram (now seriously decimated), herdsmen, and cattle rustlers,” Keyamo explained.
He credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with making “great progress in the fight against these insurgents” and pointed out that “most of the security Chiefs appointed by him are Christians, so it would be unthinkable to imagine them being complicit in the killing of fellow Christians.”
In his defence of the Nigerian government’s stance, Keyamo also highlighted the personal character of President Tinubu, a Muslim. He described him as a known ‘moderate’, whose wife is a Pastor of one of the biggest Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria and most of his children are practising Christians.”
He added that Tinubu “will be the last person to either adopt the killing of Christians as a State Policy, or condone such acts or be complicit in them.”
The minister further emphasised Nigeria’s constitutional framework, noting, “Nigeria is a secular State and our Constitution explicitly provides for freedom of religion and prohibits the adoption of a State religion.”
He argued that the insecurity “has impacted adherents of all religions and this government has not sought to protect one set of adherents and ignore the others.”
He concluded with an appeal for international cooperation rather than condemnation. “President Trump, the Nigerian people ask for deep and sincere understanding from your government at this point,” Keyamo wrote, asking for “support and cooperation” to confront terrorism. He specifically urged President Trump to “broaden your sources of information at this time so as to get a balanced view of the happenings in Nigeria.”
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