By Olisemeka Obeche

Human Rights Lawyer, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor has commended the bold and decisive move by the United States President, Donald Trump to bring the genocidal plights of Nigerian Christians to global limelight.

Ejiofor, a senior counsel to the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB said in a statement released on Saturday, that both the Nigerian government and its people must rise to the occasion by taking decisive actions to stop the ongoing religious and ethnic persecution in parts of the country.

According to him, President Trump’s declaration carries profound implications for Nigeria and beyond as it draws renewed international attention to the crisis, making it harder for the Nigerian state to maintain its business-as-usual, performative responses.

“It signals potential diplomatic and economic consequences should the persecution persist, thereby creating leverage for genuine accountability.

“It validates and honours the suffering of the victims, many of whom, until now, have been treated as mere statistics rather than martyrs of conscience and faith.

The Anambra based activist, however warned that without follow up actions, the matter will just end up as mere rhetoric. “Let us be clear: the declaration is only a beginning. The real test lies in action”, he said.

On the way forward, Ejiofor recommend that the culprits and their sponsors must be find and brought to justice.

“Those who have systematically executed this extermination agenda must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted under the full weight of the law.

“There must be no secret trials, no political negotiations, justice must be visible and uncompromising”, he stressed.

“Those who have systematically executed this extermination agenda must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted under the full weight of the law.

He further warned: “The Nigerian Government must realise that if the United States has invoked its moral and diplomatic authority to name Nigeria publicly, it must have done so on the strength of verified facts, data, and credible intelligence. Any continued denial or silence risks exposing the government’s complicity or indifference.

“Those who planted bombs in churches, massacred worshippers, displaced entire congregations, or seized farmlands from Christian families have no narrative left to hide behind. The fate of the victims of this silent slaughter is a scar upon the conscience of the nation, and indeed, the global Church.

“Every village razed, every child orphaned, every altar desecrated sends a chilling reminder that faith and life must never again be bartered for silence.

READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:

WEEKEND MUSING

NOW THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS ADDED NIGERIA TO THE “COUNTRIES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN” WATCH LIST

“From quiet fields to shattered altars, the slow, dreadful unfolding of a faith under siege. May we remember those who did not live to see relief, and pray that the world now dares to face its shame.”

Now that President Donald J. Trump has publicly added Nigeria to the Countries of Particular Concern watch list over genocide against Christians, the hour demands more than rhetorics,it demands introspection, honesty, and action.

For months, the debate has simmered. The Federal Government of Nigeria, from its seat in Abuja, has made attempts, some serious, others perfunctory, to downplay or deflect global outrage over the recurrent extermination of Christian communities. At the same time, certain hirelings, such as Reno Omokri, without any formal mandate, attempted to manipulate foreign opinion through a tea-party-styled gathering in Nigeria, pushing a pre-packaged narrative aimed at countering the steadily mounting record of Christian lives lost. That gambit proved counter-productive and brutally miscalculated, a public relations disaster the planners should still be lamenting.

Now, however, the American Government has taken a bold and unmistakable step: elevating Nigeria’s plight onto the visible global stage. The moment demands that we set aside domestic politics, propaganda, and misleading narratives, and confront the real situation head-on.

The Christian community in Nigeria is not merely under threat, it is enduring existential assaults that bear the unmistakable hallmarks of systematic elimination. According to multiple independent reports, thousands of Christians are killed each year, their churches burnt, villages emptied, and ancestral farmlands seized.
Nigeria’s Christian population has repeatedly faced targeted attacks, from the North during the jihadist surge of Boko Haram and its affiliate ISWAP, to the “Middle Belt” farmer-herder conflicts, where Fulani-linked militias frequently assault Christian farming communities under the guise of grazing disputes.

These are not random or collateral tragedies. They reflect a pattern of deliberate targeting, of faith, of identity, and of land.

The Positive Impact of Trump’s Declaration

The declaration by President Trump carries profound implications for Nigeria and beyond:

a. International Spotlight: It draws renewed international attention to the crisis, making it harder for the Nigerian state to maintain its business-as-usual, performative responses.

b. Diplomatic Pressure: It signals potential diplomatic and economic consequences should the persecution persist, thereby creating leverage for genuine accountability.

c. Moral Recognition: It validates and honours the suffering of the victims, many of whom, until now, have been treated as mere statistics rather than martyrs of conscience and faith.

Let us be clear: the declaration is only a beginning. The real test lies in action.

Those who have systematically executed this extermination agenda must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted under the full weight of the law. There must be no secret trials, no political negotiations, justice must be visible and uncompromising.

The Nigerian Government must realise that if the United States has invoked its moral and diplomatic authority to name Nigeria publicly, it must have done so on the strength of verified facts, data, and credible intelligence. Any continued denial or silence risks exposing the government’s complicity or indifference.

Those who planted bombs in churches, massacred worshippers, displaced entire congregations, or seized farmlands from Christian families have no narrative left to hide behind. The fate of the victims of this silent slaughter is a scar upon the conscience of the nation, and indeed, the global Church.

Every village razed, every child orphaned, every altar desecrated sends a chilling reminder that faith and life must never again be bartered for silence.

May the victims know that their suffering has scented the winds of change.
May the survivors find renewed courage.
And may the perpetrators learn that the cameras of history are no longer turned away.

As we step into a new month, I wish the victims of this genocide, and indeed all our well-wishers, and supporters; resilience, hope, and the promise of justice.
May the coming days bring renewal, peace, and accountability.

NigeriaUnderSiege #ChristianGenocide #FaithUnderFire #JusticeNow #WatchingNigeria #SilentSlaughterNoMore #StandWithThePersecuted #NewMonthHope #BarEjioforWrites

Signed,
Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Esq.
November 1, 2025