Trump may impose sanctions on Nigerian officials over alleged Christian persecution
Orders congressional probe
By Samuel Ogunsona
President Donald Trump may impose stringent sanctions on Nigeria following the country’s recent designation as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
Mr Trump alleged alarming persecution of Christians in the country.
Diplomatic sources told Irohinoodua that the Trump administration may impose travel ban on top Federal Government Officials and certain prominent traditional rulers suspected for cold complicity in the alleged Christian persecution.
“The Congress is carrying out investigations. There may be travel ban imposed on top Nigerian Government officials. This may be extended to some traditional rulers expecially from the Northern part of Nigeria,” the diplomat said. He also added that a former Governor in the North and some Ministers who served under former President Mohammadu Buhari may also face sanctions.
In a strongly worded statement on his official X handle on Friday, Trump said, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria.
“Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.”
Trump directed the House Appropriations Committee, led by Rep. Riley Moore and Rep. Tom Cole, to investigate the situation and report back to him.
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world,” he emphasized.
This move has raised mixed reactions, with some praising Trump’s stance on religious freedom, while others caution against oversimplifying the complex crisis in Nigeria.
The designation could potentially lead to sanctions against Nigeria, although it does not automatically trigger them.
