Nicki Minaj thanks President Donald Trump for supporting Christians in Nigeria, clarifying that her position is not about “choosing political sides” but about standing against injustice

The Trinidad emcee Nicki Minaj is addressing what she views as the Nigerian government's failure to prevent attacks on Christians.

Nicki Minaj gives a speech at the United Nations addressing the genocide of Christians in Nigeria.

Nicki Minaj has spoken about injustice in Nigeria, specifically in a recent press conference involving her collaboration with the White House to highlight the plight of Nigerian Christians. She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity and stated that she and her fans would “never stand down in the face of injustice,” referencing a Truth Social post from the US president that condemned the Nigerian government's failure to prevent attacks on Christians.

Minaj emphasized repeatedly that her involvement is not about choosing political sides; she is advocating against the injustice in Nigeria and utilizing her platform for this cause.

“I would like to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue and for his leadership on the global stage in calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria,” Minaj said.

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As villagers in northwestern Nigeria gathered for church service, armed men on motorcycles stormed in, firing indiscriminately and capturing at least 62 people, including the pastor and several children.

The captives were led into the nearby bush and forced to walk for two days to a forest hideout. There, they were held for nearly a month while their families and other villagers sold whatever they could — farmland, livestock, motorcycles — to meet the ransom demands for their release.

They received little food and sleep, were pressured to renounce Christianity, and witnessed two fellow captives being killed, according to four villagers who were eventually freed and spoke to The Associated Press at their church in the Ligari community, Kaduna state, Nigeria.

“I told my people even if they see my dead body, they should not deny Jesus and they should remain strong,” said the Rev. Micah Bulus, resident pastor of Kauna Baptist Church.

Since the attack last November, the community has faced more violence, similar to other conflict-ridden areas in the north. On Monday, gunmen abducted 25 schoolgirls and killed at least one staff member at a boarding school in Kebbi, another northwestern state.

In Ligari, villagers report that nearly every household has experienced a relative, friend, or neighbor being killed or abducted. This is part of the ongoing security crisis in Nigeria, a country highlighted by U.S. President Donald Trump for “the killing of Christians” by “radical Islamists.”

Victims and church leaders echo Trump’s claims that Christians face persecution. They report being attacked, kidnapped, or killed because of their faith.

However, many argue that the situation is more complex than Trump’s narrative, which portrays Christianity as facing an “existential threat” in Nigeria. Experts and residents indicate that while some attacks target Christians, the pervasive violence in the West African nation affects everyone, regardless of background or belief.

“They don’t ask you whether you are a Muslim or a Christian,” said 32-year-old Abdulmalik Saidu about the gunmen frequently terrorizing his northwestern state, Zamfara. “All they want is just money from you. (Even) If you have money, sometimes they will kill you.”

Saidu, a Muslim, recounted how his brother was shot dead during a kidnapping operation on a major highway, and the family never retrieved his body due to fear of attacks. In Kaduna, an imam told AP that he has lost a grandson, cousin, and brother, and his family has been displaced twice due to violence. Other religious leaders report that mosques have been destroyed, people have fled, and desperate Muslims — like their Christian neighbors — have been forced to sell goods and belongings for ransom.

“The kind of pain we’ve gone through for the past years — this issue affects both faiths,” said the imam, Idris Ishaq.