Minaj had reposted Trump’s statement alleging that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” and that “Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.”
Some Nigerians on social media have attacked American rapper, Onika Maraj, popularly known as Nicki Minaj, for spreading false information about the country after endorsing U.S. President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
Minaj had reposted Trump’s statement alleging that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” and that “Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.”
The rapper had expressed gratitude for freedom of worship in the United States, writing that the message made her feel “a deep sense of gratitude” and thanking Trump for “taking this seriously.”
She wrote, “Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practising their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other.”
Her post, however, triggered widespread criticism from Nigerians who said she had no understanding of the country’s internal security challenges.
An X user, @Deji21_ø4, countered her remarks, saying; “I’m Nigerian. Feel free to visit Nigeria again and stop parroting every propaganda you read on the internet.
The recent killings in the north central region have nothing to do with a Christian genocide or religious based killings. Matter of fact more Muslims are killed in total however the killings in the Muslim states of kwara, katsina and zamfara are ignored by western media while those in plateau a majority Christian state is being selectively propagated as a Christian genocide.”
He explained that the violence in Nigeria was driven by long-standing land disputes and criminal activity rather than religion.
According to him, “The recent killings are by suspected herders of the Fulani nomadic ethnic group alongside local bandits which has been remixed by western and pro Israeli Christians and some eastern Nigerian Christian’s as ‘jihadist’ motivated which is far from reality.”
Another user, @Iam_jbless, criticised the rapper for commenting on complex national issues she knew little about.
He said; “Sit this one out, please; you have no idea about the intricacies of Nigerian national politics. In Nigeria, we have families where one parent is Christian and the other Muslim, so stay out of our national politics because when Nigerians are caught up in endless killings, you’re safe in your own space.”
He warned that Minaj’s endorsement of Trump’s claim could undermine Nigeria’s efforts to fight terrorism. According to him; “Nigeria needs weapons to fight insurgents, and this move will hurt Nigeria’s fight against these terrorists because the US government will not sell weapons to us. This happened in 2014–2015 (#BringBackOurGirls). Did you know most of those girls were never recovered alive?”
Also reacting, @Kawugarba described Trump’s assertion as misleading and dangerous. He wrote; “If you care about the truth, data, and statistics, you would know this is a fat lie.
“There is no ethnic or religious group that is being persecuted in Nigeria. What we have are Boko Haram terrorists, and they don’t discriminate; in fact, they attack and kill more Muslims while praying at mosques than any other faith in the country.”
He pointed out that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had previously dismissed claims of a “Christian genocide.”
“Moreover, the claim that there is ‘Christian genocide’ in Nigeria has been repeatedly dispelled by the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN).
“Nigerians irrespective of religious coloration are the victims of Boko Haram terrorists, over 70% of their victims are Muslim communities, those practicing the same religion the extremist group claim to propagate,” he said.
Another X user, @tairusi, accused the West of complicity in global terrorism funding. He wrote; “Before you get ahead of yourself, do some research on who funds these terrorist groups all over the world. The answer is right where you are.”
Trump had earlier claimed that “Thousands of Christians are being killed” in Nigeria, saying, “When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done! The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries.”
Many Nigerians insist that the crisis stems from terrorism, banditry, and farmer-herder clashes rather than religious persecution as often presented abroad.