• Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Catholic Church globally, has made a major push back on the Christian genocide claim in Nigeria
• The Pope made the comment while addressing journalists as he was about to leave his residence in Castel Gandolfo in the Vatican
• This came amid the allegation by US President Donald Trump that there was a Christian genocide in Nigeria

Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Catholic Church globally, has reversed his claim that Nigerian Christians are facing genocide in the country. He emphasised that the violence in Nigeria affected Christians, Muslims and other groups in the country.

The Catholic leader made the push back while speaking to journalists when he left his residence at Castel Gandolfo in the Vatican.

Pope responds to Christian genocide in Nigeria

His comment was a response to a question posed to him about the safety of Nigerian Christians amid growing Western concerns.

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According to EWTN Vatican, the Catholic leader associated the crisis in Nigeria to a mixture of terrorism, economic pressure and the struggle for land control.

His statement reads in part:

“I think in Nigeria, in certain areas, there is certainly a danger for Christians, but for all people. Christians and Muslims have been killed.”

He maintained that seeking a way to promote authentic religious freedom in Nigeria required working with the Nigerian government because many Christians have died in the crisis.

Pope speaks on Trump’s allegation against Nigeria

Recall that Pope’s claim on religious persecution in Nigeria came amid the allegation by Donald Trump, the United States president, who also redesignated Nigeria as a country of particular concern, alleging the violation of religious freedom.

US Senator Ted Cruz had amplified the allegation when he accused the Federal Government of allowing the massacre of Christians. He claimed that Nigeria is the top country in the world where Christians are being persecuted, citing deaths and churches destroyed by extremist groups.

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Recently, Trump threatened military action in Nigeria and directed the US Department of Defence to prepare for “possible action” in Nigeria. He alleged that Christians were being killed in Nigeria and called on the government to swiftly stop the killings.

FG rejects Trump’s allegation against Nigeria

The Nigerian government had earlier rejected the allegations and maintained that all faiths were being affected by the insecurity in the country. Before that, Trump tagged Nigeria as a country of particular concern, where he first raised the Christian genocide allegation against Nigeria. The development had led to widespread criticism.

Many analysts have maintained that the US president lied about his claim, and his position has been rejected by China and the European Union. They have called for respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty and that the country should be allowed to manage its internal affairs.

How Biafra agitators fuelled Trump’s allegation

Legit.ng earlier reported that US President Donald Trump’s announcement of tagging Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern has been confirmed to have been influenced by some Biagra groups.

The groups have influenced U.S. policymakers’ strong stance against Nigeria through a document cited in the United States Department of Justice.

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They deliberately targeted US audiences, particularly the conservative political groups, who have alliances with Trump.

Source: Legit.ng