(DDM) – The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has petitioned U.S. President Donald Trump to take urgent and decisive action to halt what it described as a “Christian massacre” in Nigeria, where more than 120,000 believers have reportedly been killed since 2009.
According to Diaspora Digital Media (DDM), the ACLJ’s petition highlights the increasing global concern over what international observers now describe as a slow-moving genocide against Christians in Nigeria’s northern and middle-belt regions.
The organization, known for its strong advocacy on religious freedom and human rights, urged the Trump administration to recognize the killings as “systematic religious persecution” and to pressure the Nigerian government into protecting its Christian citizens from extremist violence.
In a detailed report accompanying the petition, the ACLJ accused successive Nigerian administrations of neglecting the plight of Christian communities despite years of escalating attacks by Boko Haram, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), and armed Fulani militias.
The group claimed that since 2009, tens of thousands of Christian families have been displaced, thousands of churches destroyed, and entire communities wiped out in coordinated assaults.
It described the Nigerian situation as “one of the worst humanitarian and religious crises in modern history.”
The petition calls on the United States government to take stronger diplomatic steps, including sanctions against Nigerian officials accused of complicity or negligence, and to increase humanitarian aid to displaced victims of religious violence.
Background checks by DDM show that the ACLJ has been one of the most vocal international bodies calling attention to the persecution of Christians in Africa
Its founder, Jay Sekulow, served as one of President Trump’s personal attorneys and a prominent conservative voice in U.S. politics.
During Trump’s presidency, his administration was known for taking strong positions on global religious freedom, designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” in 2020 under the International Religious Freedom Act. That move made Nigeria the first democracy to be so classified, drawing both praise and controversy.
Analysts say the ACLJ’s renewed push for action reflects mounting frustration among U.S. religious groups over the Biden administration’s perceived inaction on Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
Many argue that without external pressure, the Nigerian government may continue to deny the scale of the atrocities.
Human rights organizations, including Open Doors USA and Amnesty International, have documented similar figures of widespread killings, kidnappings, and mass displacements across states like Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, and Borno.
Despite global outcry, Nigerian authorities have often dismissed the claims as exaggerated or politically motivated, blaming “bandits” and “unknown gunmen” for the violence rather than acknowledging religious motives.
The ACLJ insists the evidence tells a different story, one of systematic targeting, ethnic cleansing, and official indifference.
As the debate intensifies, many observers believe U.S. involvement could redefine global attention on Nigeria’s crisis, potentially influencing both humanitarian policy and diplomatic relations in the months ahead.
