American rapper Nicki Minaj has explained why she publicly addressed the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, citing her personal ties to the country and reports of violence against worshippers.
Minaj, who has a Nigerian pastor and a large fan base in the country, described reports of kidnappings and killings of Christians during church activities as “outrageous” and warned that silence only emboldens oppression.
Speaking during a surprise appearance at AmericaFest, she said, “Nigeria is a place I have always loved. Someone very dear to me, my pastor, is Nigerian, and I have lots of Nigerian barbs. So hearing that people are being kidnapped while they are in church, people are being killed, brutalised, all because of their religion, that should spark outrage.”
She added, “We are not backing down anymore. We are not going to be silenced by the bullies anymore. We will speak up for Christians wherever they are in this world. Every time we pray in fellowship, we have to remember the people who are hiding to pray in fellowship, and we have to pray for them.”
Her remarks followed a social media post by US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Christianity faces an existential threat in Nigeria.
Minaj expressed gratitude for the freedom to worship in the United States and condemned religious persecution. “Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practising their religion,” she wrote.
She also noted that Christians have faced persecution in the US in different ways, adding, “When we talk about Nigeria and other countries, know that prior administrations saw nothing wrong with that, and that was what was wrong with them.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims of a coordinated or systematic genocide against Christians, describing such narratives as false and misleading. Authorities have attributed the country’s security challenges to terrorism, banditry, and communal conflicts.
