{"id":2525598,"date":"2025-12-27T17:07:55","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T22:07:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legacy-media-downplays-christian-persecution-in-nigeria-after-trump-admin-strikes\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T17:12:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T22:12:06","slug":"legacy-media-downplays-christian-persecution-in-nigeria-after-trump-admin-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legacy-media-downplays-christian-persecution-in-nigeria-after-trump-admin-strikes\/","title":{"rendered":"Legacy Media Downplays Christian Persecution in Nigeria After Trump Admin Strikes"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flegacy-media-downplays-christian-persecution-in-nigeria-after-trump-admin-strikes%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2525598&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>After President Trump cited an Open Doors report saying 3,100 Christians were killed in Nigeria (3,100 in Nigeria vs. 4,476 globally for a 12\u2011month period) and urged U.S. action, mainstream outlets and some analysts pushed back, saying the picture is more complex and that Muslims have also been widely victimized. The piece highlights attacks by ISWAP, Boko Haram and Fulani militias that have killed, kidnapped and displaced civilians-especially in the Middle Belt-and notes competing tallies: the International Society for Civil Liberties reported over 7,000 Christian deaths in Nigeria in 2025 (as of Aug.10),while sources like ACLED and some researchers show many victims&#8217; religious identities are unrecorded and that a substantial share of fatalities have been Muslim. BBC, CNN and others questioned whether there is clear evidence of purposeful, disproportionate targeting of Christians, and suggested Trump&#8217;s claims may appeal to his evangelical base. Conversely, outlets such as The Conversation and some <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >human-rights advocates point<\/a> to patterns of church attacks and localized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/longtime-ethiopian-diplomat-resigns-in-protest-of-countrys-genocide\/\" title=\"Longtime Ethiopian Diplomat Resigns in Protest of ...\u2019s Genocide\">mass killings<\/a> in predominantly Christian areas. Trump called for a congressional inquiry, designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, and warned of possible military action if the Nigerian government did not curb attacks on Christians.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Legacy media outlets downplayed Christian persecution in Nigeria after President Donald Trump&rsquo;s administration struck anti-Christian ISIS terrorists in the country.<\/p>\n<p>Trump wrote in an Oct. 31  <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115470116607441456\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">post<\/a> that 3,100 Christians were killed in Nigeria, compared to 4,476 globally, citing an Open Doors <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opendoors.org\/en-US\/persecution\/persecution-trends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">report<\/a> that recorded deaths for the 12 months from October 2023, a White House official said, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cgqlzkdeeqjo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according<\/a> to the BBC. Yet legacy media outlets suggested Christian persecution was not a significant issue compared to attacks on Muslims following the strikes Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/115782683955516402\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">announced<\/a> on  Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, Sky News Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir went on &ldquo;MS NOW Reports&rdquo; on Friday to attempt to refute the existence of Christian persecution.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Now, the Nigerian government has come out and acknowledged publicly that they were working with the U.S. in these strikes, that there was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-faces-first-main-foreign-policy-test-within-georgia\/\" title=\"Biden Faces First Main Foreign Policy Test within Georgia\">security cooperation<\/a>,&rdquo; Elbagir said. &ldquo;But their officials have also had to reiterate that they are not focusing on the protection of one religious group over the other. The Nigerian government has insisted that Christians are not being disproportionately targeted by terrorists in Nigeria, and the data just doesn&rsquo;t back that up either.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Trump has been repeating these claims, apparently to appease his far right evangelical Christian base who have long condemned the targeting of Christians in Nigeria,&rdquo; she continued. &ldquo;But having been in Nigeria and been in communities that are targeted by Boko Haram and by ISWAP [Islamic State West Africa Province], I&rsquo;ve seen for myself that these communities are often Muslim, that there&rsquo;s no discrimination between Christians and Muslims. And just on Christmas Eve, a bomb exploded in a mosque in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, killing at least five people who were there to worship.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Radical Islamist terrorists from northern Nigeria &mdash; including ISWAP, Boko Haram, and the Fulani ethnic militia &mdash; have carried out almost daily murders, kidnappings, and robberies targeting Christians and non-radical Muslims in the nation&rsquo;s Middle Belt.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, over 7,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria in 2025 as of Aug. 10, <a href=\"https:\/\/intersociety-ng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Nigeria-Headquartering-22-Islamic-Terror-Groups-In-Africa-Seeking-To-Obliterate-Christianity-And-Indigenous-Cultural-Heritage-And-Impose-Sultanate-In-Nigeria-By.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according<\/a> to the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law.<\/p>\n<p>The BBC published a piece on Friday titled, &ldquo;Are Christians being persecuted in Nigeria as Trump claims?&rdquo; The outlet cited sources that cast doubt on the significance of anti-Christian attacks, including data on deaths.<\/p>\n<p>The BBC also referenced political violence monitoring organizations who said the majority of those targeted by jihadist groups were Muslims. It cited Nigerian security analyst Christian Ani, who acknowledged there were terrorist attacks against Christians, but claimed it was impossible to back up assertions of deliberate targeting.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, CNN published a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/12\/25\/africa\/trump-nigeria-attacks-on-christians-explainer-intl-hnk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">piece<\/a> on Thursday after the strikes entitled, &ldquo;Trump says violence in Nigeria targets Christians. The reality is more nuanced.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The outlet reported that &ldquo;experts and analysts&rdquo; have told it that Muslims have also been victimized by radical Islamists.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Has the long-running violence killed Christians?&rdquo; the outlet asked, answering, &ldquo;Yes &mdash; though that&rsquo;s only part of the picture.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Still, CNN acknowledged &ldquo;a spate of high-profile attacks in predominantly Christian pockets of the north&rdquo; of the country, highlighting examples of mass killings in Christian areas.<\/p>\n<p>Like Elbagir, the outlet suggested the killings were a politically opportune issue for right-wing evangelical Christians.<\/p>\n<p>CNN subsequently highlighted mass killings of Muslims and cited Nigerian human rights advocate Bulama Bukarti, who asserted that public attacks more commonly affect Muslims than Christians.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Yes, these (extremist) groups have sadly killed many Christians. However, they have also massacred tens of thousands of Muslims,&rdquo; Bukarti said.<\/p>\n<p>CNN also referenced Armed Conflict Location &amp; Event Data, which reportedly found 317 Christians were killed in targeted attacks compared to 417 Muslims from January 2020 to September 2025. However, the outlet noted that the group did not identify the religion of the overwhelming portion of the over 20,400 civilians killed during the time period.<\/p>\n<p>The Conversation also <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/is-there-a-christian-genocide-in-nigeria-evidence-shows-all-faiths-are-under-attack-by-terrorists-268929\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">found<\/a> in November that church attacks have greatly outnumbered mosque attacks since 2020, using data from ACLED. Nigeria has a similar number of Christians and Muslims, according to multiple reports.<\/p>\n<p>Trump called on Congress to investigate Nigeria in the Oct. 31  post, designating the nation as a Country of Particular Concern. He also had warned Nigeria&rsquo;s government on Nov. 1 that if it did not stop the attacks against Christians, then the U.S. might &ldquo;very well go into that now disgraced country, &lsquo;guns-a-blazing,&rsquo; to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p><em>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/union-membership-plummets-to-record-low\/\" title=\"Union Membership Plummets to Record Low\">legitimate news publisher<\/a> that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter&rsquo;s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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