The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has issued another strong warning to the Nigerian government over the persistent attacks on Christians across the country.
Trump, in a new audio message aired on Friday, accused Nigerian authorities of failing to act.
He said the killings have continued because the government has shown no will to confront the situation.
The US leader was blunt in his remarks.
“I think Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace. They are killing people by the thousands. It is a genocide, and I am really angry about it,” Trump said.
He also hinted that America may cut off financial assistance to Nigeria if the violence continues.
According to him, the crisis was ignored for too long until he drew global attention to it.
Trump added, “And we pay, you know, we give a lot of subsidy to Nigeria. We are going to end up stopping. The government has done nothing. They are very ineffective. They are killing Christians at will. You know, until I got involved in it two weeks ago, nobody even talked about it.”
The US president noted that Christianity faces serious danger in Nigeria.
He had earlier designated the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” over the killings.
He warned that if the government fails to halt the violence, the American response would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”
Trump’s comments have intensified pressure on Abuja.
In response, the Nigerian government dispatched a high-level delegation to Washington for consultations.
The team was led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Top US officials met with the Nigerian delegation, including US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who insisted that Nigeria must take firm action against the ongoing attacks.
Another meeting was held with US Congressman Riley Moore.
He said discussions centred on counterterrorism cooperation and measures to protect vulnerable Christian communities.
He described the engagement as “frank, honest, and productive.”
Members of the Nigerian delegation included Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede; and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Undiendeye, among other senior officials.
In a related development, Politics Nigeria earlier reported heightened tension between Washington and Abuja after US officials expressed concern over the rising insecurity in Nigeria and the slow government response.