Nigerian Christians to Respond to President Trump’s Designation of Their Nation as a Country of Particular Concern – standardnewswire.com

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XSpace TODAY at 2 pm ET | https://x.com/persecutedsave/status/1984637705536315428
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Save the Persecuted Christians
Nov. 1, 2025
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2025 /Standard Newswire/ — On Friday, October 31, 2025, President Donald Trump announced the redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998.
Trump made the announcement via a post on Truth Social as he arrived at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida. His full statement, shared widely and reposted by the White House, reads:
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done! I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN.’ I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter, and report back to me. The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!”
The label identifies nations where the government engages in or tolerates “particularly severe violations of religious freedom,” which may lead to targeted U.S. sanctions, aid restrictions, arms-sales restrictions, or diplomatic pressure. The move reverses the Biden administration’s 2021 removal of the designation and reinstates one Trump had issued in December 2020 during his first term. It responds to advocacy from U.S. lawmakers, religious freedom groups, and reports of escalating violence against Christians in Nigeria, attributed to groups like Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani militants.
This action aligns with Trump’s long-standing emphasis on protecting persecuted Christians, as seen in his 2018 White House meeting with then-President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Our organization, a large coalition of leaders united for persecuted Christians, has been advocating for Nigeria’s Christians since our foundation in 2018. I have gone where the diplomats refuse to go. I have been to Makurdi and Jos. I have traversed the highways where tens of thousands have been taken hostage over the years. And, I have been crying out with Nigerian Christians for this moment. We are enormously grateful for President Trump and his resolute commitment to defend persecuted Christians in Nigeria, in the U.S. and in so many other places around the world,” said Dede Laugesen, President & CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians.
“While this battle has been won, it doesn’t end the war. Genocide is happening in Nigeria. We look forward to collaborating with Reps. Riley Moore and Tom Cole as they begin the investigation that President Trump has tasked them with.

“Their remain thousands of victims held hostage in despicable and inhumane conditions in terror camps located across Nigeria. TruthNigeria.com reports some of these camps exist near military installations.
“This Genocide must be investigated and brought to a swift end. Christian hostages, like Leah Sharibu, must be rescued. Villages, farms and homes taken over with impunity by Fulani militants and other terrorists must be reclaimed and returned to their rightful owners so the millions of internally displaced people can finally go home. And, the U.S. must stop the over $1 billion in arms sales to Nigeria until tangible action is taken to end the violence against Nigeria’s Christian citizens.”
SOURCE Save the Persecuted Christians
CONTACT: Dede Laugesen, President & CEO, Save the Persecuted Christians, +1-719-414-7833, info@savethepersecutedchristians.org

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