Terrorists Have Killed More Muslims Than Christians — Trump’s Adviser
The Senior Adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump on Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, has said that terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State (ISIS) have killed more Muslims than Christians in Nigeria.
Boulos dismissed recent claims by some American politicians that Nigerian Christians were being systematically targeted, describing such assertions as inaccurate and misleading.
Speaking in a video shared by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Boulos emphasized that terrorism in Nigeria is not driven by religion, but by broader issues of insecurity that affect citizens across ethnic and religious lines.
“Any loss of life is tragic. But those familiar with the situation know that terrorism has no colour, no religion, and no tribe,” Boulos said.
“People of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds are suffering. In fact, Boko Haram and ISIS have killed more Muslims than Christians. This crisis is not about one group versus another.”
The U.S. adviser acknowledged that violent clashes between herders and farmers have occurred in parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt region but argued that these incidents are largely resource-based, not religiously motivated.
“Some of these conflicts involve herders passing through farmlands—many of which are owned by Christian farmers—but these are not acts of religious persecution,” he explained.
Boulos also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for its renewed efforts to strengthen security across volatile regions of the country.
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“The Nigerian government and President Tinubu’s administration have recently taken additional steps and deployed more resources to affected areas. We’ve seen some improvements in recent weeks, and we appreciate those efforts,” he said.
He praised Nigeria’s longstanding tradition of religious tolerance and coexistence, noting that the country’s diversity should remain a source of unity rather than division.
“Nigeria is a country where people of different faiths, ethnicities, and tribes have lived together in harmony for centuries. The population is almost evenly split between Christians and Muslims, and religion has never been a serious dividing factor—and it should not become one,” he said.
Boulos further called for continued collaboration between Nigeria and the United States in combating terrorism and promoting peace across the African continent.
His remarks came amid renewed debate in Washington, where some U.S. lawmakers have been pushing for Nigeria to be reclassified as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ (CPC) over alleged violations of religious freedom.
One of the leading voices, Senator Ted Cruz, accused Nigerian authorities of “ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.” Cruz has since introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act in the U.S. Senate, which seeks to impose sanctions on officials accused of such abuses.
Similarly, Congressman Riley Moore of West Virginia wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the State Department to re-designate Nigeria as a CPC and suspend arms sales to the country until it demonstrates greater commitment to protecting Christians.
The CPC designation is reserved for nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom. Nigeria was first placed on the list in 2020 during Trump’s administration but was removed in 2021 by President Joe Biden, a move that drew criticism from several conservative and faith-based advocacy groups in the U.S.
By PRNigeria
