Trump’s Threat: Tinubu’s Minister Keyamo Writes Open Letter to US President
- Festus Keyamo says claims of Christian killings in Nigeria are false and not supported by evidence
- The minister notes that President Tinubu’s family and key security chiefs are Christians, proving Nigeria’s religious tolerance
- Keyamo appeals to Trump and the US government for collaboration and dialogue to combat terrorism, not confrontation
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has written an open letter to former United States President Donald Trump, refuting claims of systematic persecution or killings of Christians in Nigeria.
The senior lawyer and human rights advocate said the allegation of religiously targeted violence is untrue and does not reflect the reality of the country’s complex security challenges.
Source: Facebook
In a lengthy statement shared on X on Wednesday, November 5, Keyamo explained that his position was not political but one borne out of conviction and firsthand experience.
He said that as a lifelong Christian and a past recipient of the Global Human Rights Award by the United States Global Leadership Council, it was important for him to clarify the misconceptions about Nigeria’s religious situation.
Minister rejects claims of Christian persecution
Keyamo, who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu, described Nigeria’s unrest as a decades-old security challenge caused by extremist groups such as Boko Haram and criminal gangs involved in herder-farmer clashes.
He said these problems were not faith-based and that the Tinubu administration had made significant progress in restoring order.
“Just like the U.S and many countries in the world, we have faced our own fair share of societal violence; ours has been perpetrated by deadly groups known as Boko Haram (now seriously decimated), herdsmen, and cattle rustlers,” he stated.
He added that many of the service chiefs leading Nigeria’s current security response are Christians, making it “unthinkable” that they would support any anti-Christian agenda.
Keyamo also pointed to the religious diversity within the leadership of Nigeria, noting that President Tinubu, a Muslim, has a Christian wife who pastors one of Nigeria’s largest Pentecostal churches.
Source: Twitter
He said this background reflects Tinubu’s tolerance and long-standing association with Christian leaders, which contradicts any notion of religious bias.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, though a Muslim, is a known ‘moderate’, whose wife is a Pastor of one of the biggest Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria and most of his children are practising Christians,” he wrote.
He maintained that Tinubu “will be the last person to either adopt the killing of Christians as a State Policy, or condone such acts or be complicit in them.”
Calls for deeper US-Nigeria cooperation
Keyamo stressed that Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and expressly prohibits the adoption of a state religion. He said that while insurgency and banditry have caused immense suffering, victims have come from all faiths and regions.
The minister urged former President Trump to seek a balanced understanding of the situation before drawing conclusions. He said both ruling and opposition politicians in Nigeria agree that there is no targeted campaign against Christians.
He concluded by appealing for stronger cooperation between Washington and Abuja to tackle terrorism.
“President Trump, the Nigerian people ask for deep and sincere understanding from your government... we ask for collaboration; we ask for frank and open dialogue at this time with your government,” he said.
Foreign ministry reacts to Trump's claim
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigeria's Foreign ministry commented on the claim that Nigerian Christians were being killed in massive proportions.
According to the government ministry, the claim by the United States President Donald Trump did not reflect the reality on the ground.
US President Donald Trump claimed that there were widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria.
Source: Legit.ng
