Nigeria: Persecuted Christians Appeal to Trump Amid Abuja's Inaction

Faced with the repetition of attacks in the Middle Belt and the lack of a federal response commensurate with the tragedy, the Nigerian Christian community is now turning to Washington. An admission of Abuja's failure.

The fact

We had reported, as part of the Middle Belt thread, the demand of a Nigerian cardinal for the government of Abuja to finally act against kidnappings. On July 25, 2026, LifeSiteNews reports a turning point. Persecuted Christians make a direct appeal to the American president Donald Trump to take decisive action in Nigeria. Many Nigerians now believe that their own government has not responded with the urgency and determination required to stop the attacks directed against the Christians of the Middle Belt.

Our analysis

Three facts must be named. First, the implicit recognition of a failure of federal sovereignty to protect its Christian minority: the victims' words no longer expect a credible response from Abuja. Secondly, the fact that the persecuted community no longer primarily turns to Rome or the UN, but to Washington. This is the recognition that only bilateral political levers, possibly backed by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, can today produce a binding effect on the Nigerian regime. Finally, the question of the religious qualification of the attacks. The OLIRA 2020-2026 study, widely cited by Aid to the Church in Need, already documented the disproportionate burden borne by Christians, contradicting the convenient "agropastoral" narrative. Recognizing the religious motive is the first step towards action. The Catechism reminds us, at number 2242, that citizens have a duty of conscience to refuse to obey civil authorities when they deviate from the common good; a fortiori, the duty of third powers to rescue the persecuted exists.

To ponder

The silence of the great capitals is never neutral: it removes protections. Let us join the cry of the Christians of the Middle Belt and pray that their voice be heard, in Abuja as in Washington. Aid to the Church in Need and Open Doors continue to document this discreet martyrdom. Let us support their work.