Nigeria’s Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo has directly addressed former U.S. President Donald Trump, pushing back against systematic killings of Christians in Nigeria.
In his open letter, Keyamo, a Senior Advocate with over 30 years of human rights experience, called Trump’s concerns “misinformed” and said they don’t reflect what’s actually happening on the ground in Nigeria.
Keyamo pointed to his own credibility as a long-time human rights defender, noting he received the Global Human Rights Award in Washington back in 2017 from the United States Global Leadership Council.
He made a personal argument: if Christians were really being hunted down in Nigeria, there’s no way he would have joined President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.
Keyamo described Tinubu, a Muslim, as “a known moderate” who’s married to a pastor and has raised Christian children.
The minister stressed that Nigeria’s Constitution protects religious freedom and prevents any single faith from becoming a state religion.
Religious diversity and peaceful coexistence, he said, have always been part of Nigeria’s identity.
Keyamo clarified that Nigeria’s violence isn’t about religion, it’s about terrorism and criminality.
The country is dealing with Boko Haram, clashes between herders and farmers, and cattle rustling.
These are problems Tinubu inherited, not created, and the administration has been working to address them.
He also noted that most of Nigeria’s top security officials are Christians, which makes the idea of coordinated anti-Christian violence hard to believe.
Keyamo’s letter ended with a plea for understanding and cooperation. He asked the U.S. government to engage Nigeria through dialogue and partnership rather than distant criticism.
“Nigeria asks for deep and sincere understanding from your government,” he wrote, calling for Washington’s support in the fight against terrorism.
He closed with a simple prayer: “God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria and God bless the United States of America.”
