November 05, (THEWILL) — Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has dismissed claims by United States President Donald Trump alleging widespread killing and persecution of Christians in Nigeria, describing the assertions as misleading and detached from reality.
In an open letter posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, urged the U.S. president to rely on credible sources and collaborate with Nigeria on counter-terrorism efforts rather than amplify inaccurate narratives.
He maintained that Nigeria remains a secular nation where Christians and Muslims coexist, insisting the country is not a battleground for religious warfare.
Highlighting his three decades of human rights advocacy, Keyamo said his Christian upbringing and record of defending the oppressed would not allow him to serve in any administration that targets Christians.
“It would have been most unconscionable for me to serve any government if truly there is any scintilla of truth in the assertion that Christians are specifically targeted in Nigeria. It is simply not true,” he wrote.
The minister noted that Nigeria’s security challenges affect citizens of all faiths and ethnicities.
These problems, he said, predate the current administration, which has recorded progress in curbing extremist violence.
Keyamo further pointed out that President Bola Tinubu exemplifies religious tolerance, recalling that although he is Muslim, his wife is a pastor in one of Nigeria’s largest Pentecostal churches and several of his children practise Christianity.
Tinubu, he added, often hosted Christian clerics for prayer sessions during his tenure as Lagos State governor.
He also noted that several top security chiefs are Christians, making allegations of state-sanctioned anti-Christian attacks “illogical and unthinkable.”
Reaffirming that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees religious freedom, Keyamo stressed that both Muslims and Christians have suffered from insecurity, and no administration has ever adopted policies favouring one faith over another.
He appealed for deeper diplomatic engagement rather than incendiary remarks, urging Trump and the U.S. government to broaden their information sources and support Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
“The Nigerian people ask for deep and sincere understanding. We ask for cooperation, collaboration, and open dialogue with your government to confront this decades-old menace,” he wrote.
Keyamo reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to religious harmony, national unity, and strengthened bilateral relations with the United States.
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