The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has once again criticised the Nigerian government over what he described as persistent, targeted attacks against Christians in the country.

Speaking during an audio interview on The Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio on Friday, Trump accused Nigerian authorities of neglecting the escalating violence and warned that the United States could withdraw financial assistance if the situation continues unchecked.

“I think Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace. They are killing people by the thousands. It is genocide, and I am really angry about it,” Trump said in the recording.

The US president claimed that the Nigerian government had “done nothing” to stem the attacks and alleged that Christians were being killed “at will.”

“We give a lot of subsidy to Nigeria. We are going to end up stopping it. The government has done nothing. They are very ineffective. You know, until I got involved two weeks ago, nobody even talked about it,” he added.

Trump has previously designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious persecution, saying that Christianity was “facing an existential threat” in the nation. He warned that failure by Nigeria to halt the killings would attract an American response that would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”

His latest comments have intensified diplomatic tension, prompting the Nigerian government to dispatch a high-level delegation to Washington for consultations.

On Thursday, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, led the delegation in a meeting with US Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, at the Pentagon. A statement from the Pentagon said Hegseth urged Nigeria to take more decisive action against rising attacks targeting Christian communities.

In a separate meeting, US Congressman Riley Moore met with the Nigerian delegation on Wednesday night in Washington, DC. He described their discussions on counterterrorism cooperation and the protection of vulnerable groups as “frank, honest, and productive.”

Members of the Nigerian delegation included:
– Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
– Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun
– Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN)
– Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede
– Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Undiendeye