By Uzair Adam
Former United States President Donald Trump has acknowledged for the first time that Muslims are also victims of ongoing killings in Nigeria, marking a shift from his earlier narrative that focused almost exclusively on Christians.
Trump, who has repeatedly claimed that Christians are being targeted in attacks across the country, made the admission during an interview with The New York Times.
Despite this, he maintained that Christians remain the primary victims of the violence.“I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians,” Trump was quoted as saying.
Speaking on a Christmas Day attack on what he described as terror targets in Nigeria, Trump warned that the United States could carry out additional military strikes if the violence continues.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike … But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike,” he said.
When reminded that his own Africa adviser had previously stated that groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians, Trump repeated his position, insisting that while Muslims are affected, Christians suffer the most.
In late October, Trump began warning that Christianity was facing what he described as an “existential threat” in Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to protect Christian communities.
He subsequently redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and criticised authorities for what he called a weak response to insecurity.
The Nigerian government later dispatched a high-powered delegation to the United States to brief officials on the country’s security challenges.
Following the visit, senior American officials also travelled to Nigeria to assess the situation firsthand.