Hegseth Pursues Trump Persecution Claim With Nigerian Official

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim whose wife is a Christian pastor, has said he is committed to working with the US and international community to protect all faiths.Photographer: Benson Ibeabuchi/Bloomberg

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November 21, 2025 at 7:19 PM UTC

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met a top Nigerian security official to reinforce the Trump administration’s claim that Christians in the West African country have been singled out for “horrific violence.”

“Under @POTUS leadership, DOW is working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists,” Hegseth said in a post on X Friday, using the acronym for Department of War, as the administration calls it.