By Sabiu Abdullahi
Pope Leo XIV has played down claims that Christians alone are the targets of mass killings in Nigeria, stressing that the country’s insecurity threatens people of every faith.
The Catholic leader made the clarification during an interaction with journalists as he departed his Castel Gandolfo residence in The Vatican.
A reporter sought his view on the safety of Nigerian Christians, a topic that has drawn considerable attention in Western political debates.
The pontiff said Nigeria’s violence cannot be separated from terrorism, economic pressures, and fierce disputes over land.
“I think in Nigeria, in certain areas, there is certainly a danger for Christians, but for all people. Christians and Muslims have been slaughtered,” he stated in response to EWTN News.
“There’s a question of terrorism. There’s a question that has to do a lot with economics, if you will, and control of the lands that they have. Unfortunately, many Christians have died, and I think it’s very, it’s important to seek a way for the government, with all peoples, to promote authentic religious freedom.”
His remarks come after former U.S. President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious persecution.
Abuja strongly rejected the designation, arguing that the crisis is not an assault on one religion but a complex conflict involving multiple groups.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, also echoed a similar view last month. At the launch of the 2025 Religious Freedom Report by Aid to the Church in Need, he said the violence in Nigeria fits more into a “social conflict,” often between herders and farmers, rather than a religious confrontation.
In an effort to address the growing narrative in Washington, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu led a federal delegation to the United States on Wednesday.
The team met with Congressman Riley Moore, whom Trump appointed to review Nigeria’s situation. Moore later said he and the delegation held a “frank, honest, and productive discussion.”