Keyamo Writes Trump, Denies Claims of Christian Persecution in Nigeria
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has written an open letter to United States President Donald Trump, rejecting claims that Christians are being systematically targeted or killed in Nigeria.
Keyamo’s letter, posted on his official X account on Wednesday, was in response to Trump’s recent warning that the U.S. could consider military intervention if alleged genocide against Christians continued in Nigeria.
The minister, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, described the allegations as false and misleading. He highlighted his Christian background and human rights record as evidence of his commitment to justice and equality.
“I am a lawyer of more than three decades of active practice, most of which was dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights,” Keyamo wrote. “In 2017, I was honoured in Washington with the Global Human Rights Award by the United States Global Leadership Council for my work in defending the rights of the downtrodden.”
He added that as a Christian and human rights advocate, it would be “unconscionable” for him to serve in a government that targeted Christians for persecution or killings.
“The claim that Christians are specifically targeted in Nigeria is simply not true,” Keyamo stated. “Violence in parts of the country stems from criminality and terrorism inherited from previous administrations, not religion.”
The minister noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government has made major progress in tackling insecurity caused by Boko Haram, herders, and cattle rustlers, adding that several top security chiefs in the current administration are Christians.
“Just like in the United States and other parts of the world, Nigeria has experienced societal violence. But it is driven by insurgency, not faith,” he said.
Keyamo praised President Tinubu’s record of religious tolerance, recalling his years as Governor of Lagos State, where he regularly hosted Christian pastors for worship and prayer sessions.
“President Tinubu, though a Muslim, is a moderate whose wife is a pastor of one of Nigeria’s largest Pentecostal churches, and most of his children are practising Christians,” Keyamo wrote. “He would never condone, support, or tolerate any form of religious persecution.”
He reaffirmed that Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and prohibits the adoption of any state religion, describing the country as a secular and multi-faith democracy.
