American rapper Nicki Minaj says her personal ties to Nigeria and reports of attacks on worshippers prompted her decision to publicly speak about the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Fielding questions from Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk at AmericaFest on Sunday, Minaj referenced her connection to the country and concerns over reported violence.

“Nigeria is a place I’ve 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’re in church, people are being killed, brutalised, all because of their religion — that should spark outrage.”

She added, “We’re 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.”

Minaj also harped on religious freedom globally, wondering why people take the right to worship for granted.
“We take for granted that there, right now in this world, are people who cannot worship God as they please, where they please.

“Every time we pray in fellowship, we have to remember the people that are right now in this world hiding to pray in fellowship, and we have to pray for them,” she said.

The rapper had earlier shared a screenshot of a post by United States President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform, where he wrote on October 31 that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria.” Reacting to the post on November 1, Minaj wrote,

“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 showered encomium on President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, describing them as leaders who understand the concerns of ordinary Americans. However, Minaj noted that Christians also face challenges in the United States, arguing that leadership matters in protecting religious freedom.

“Christians have been persecuted right here in our country in different ways. So when we talk about Nigeria and other countries, know that prior administrations saw nothing wrong with that, and that’s what was wrong with them,” she said.

Recall that the Nigerian Government has consistently rejected claims of a coordinated or systematic genocide against Christians in the country, describing such narratives as false and misleading, insisting that insecurity affects Nigerians of all religious backgrounds.

President Bola Tinubu maintained that the country’s security challenges are complex and not driven by a state-backed campaign against any particular faith.