The Donald Trump-led United States Government has strongly condemned the brutal attacks targeting Christians in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa.

The US administration described the violence against Christians as horrific, vowing to work with international partners to address the crisis.

The White House and the State Department have vowed to respond decisively.

“The Trump administration condemns in the strongest terms this horrific violence against Christians,” the White House said, according to Fox News, emphasising that religious freedom is both a moral duty and a U.S. foreign policy priority

The condemnation follows a series of deadly incidents in recent weeks, including the massacre of 27 Christians in the Nigerian village of Bindi Ta-hoss by Islamist Fulani militants.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of horror, with many victims, many of them women and children, burned alive while seeking refuge in a church.

“I lost my wife and second daughter in the attack,” survivor Solomon Sunday told reporters. “They were burned alive.”

In a separate incident on July 27, 49 Christians were butchered with machetes during prayers in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Authorities blame Islamist militants from the Allied Democratic Forces, a group affiliated with ISIS.

Across the region, Islamist extremists, including Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa, are accused of targeting Christians for killing, displacement, and land seizure.

Human rights organisations warn that the violence amounts to an ongoing campaign of “ethno-religious cleansing.”

John Eibner, president of Christian Solidarity International, told Fox News Digital that in Nigeria’s Plateau State alone, over 165 Christians have been killed in the last four months.

“Such grisly proceedings have become commonplace in central Nigeria,” John Eibner, president of Christian human rights organization Christian Solidarity International, told Fox News Digital. “It is part of a longstanding process of violent Islamization, of ethno-religious cleansing. Last Palm Sunday, 50 Christians were similarly slaughtered in nearby Bassa. Over 165 Christians have been killed in the last 4 months in Plateau State (one of Nigeria’s provinces) alone,” he added.

“Massacres of the sort that happen in central Nigeria are also happening with increasing frequency in predominately Christian places like Congo and Mozambique. There is no simple solution.”

“People are being killed like chickens, and nothing is being done,” added local youth leader D’Young Mangut.

According to Open Doors, more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined.

Over the past decade, jihadist violence in sub-Saharan Africa has claimed around 150,000 lives and displaced more than 16 million Christians.

In Plateau State, over 64 communities have been reportedly taken over by armed Fulani militants.

Religious leaders say the violence is systematic and unchecked. Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, who lost 20 parishioners in a recent attack, accused militants of seeking to turn parts of Nigeria into an Islamic State, while victims’ families say they are “tired of condolences” and demand real protection.

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US President, Donald Trump on Sunday, August 10 vowed to crack down on Washington, DC’s challenges, promising to remove homeless people from the capital and swiftly jail criminals.

“I’m going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before,” Trump said on Truth Social. “We want our Capital BACK.”

“The homeless have to move out, immediately. We will give you places to stay, but far from the Capital,” he continued. “The criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong. It’s all going to happen very fast, just like the Border. This will be easier — be prepared! There will be no ‘Mr. Nice Guy.’”

Trump indicated more details will follow in a news conference Monday.

His comments came after the recent assault of former Department of Government Efficiency staffer Edward Coristine, also known as “Big Balls.” Coristine, 19, now working at the Social Security Administration, was attacked by about 10 juveniles near DuPont Circle while trying to stop an apparent carjacking. Two suspects have been arrested, and a $10,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the others.

Last week, Trump announced plans to deploy federal law enforcement across DC to address crime.

Like other major US cities, DC faces widespread homeless encampments. Governed by the 1973 Home Rule Act, the city has a unique relationship with the federal government, and some Republicans have suggested a federal takeover to address crime.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city will work with federal law enforcement, noting, “He’s interested in being in neighborhoods, fighting crime in neighborhoods. We are not experiencing a crime spike.”

Despite disagreements, Bowser has sought to maintain ties with Trump, meeting with him last year and privately expressing shared goals of making DC safer and cleaner.

According to the DC Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime is down 26% from last year, homicides are down 12%, and overall crime is down 7%. However, DC still ranks among the highest in homicide rates nationwide, placing fourth in 2023.

White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller described DC as “more violent than Baghdad” and parts of other dangerous regions, though comparative data remains unclear.

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The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has stated that the recent actions of popular Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, known as KWAM 1, at an airport could be considered an act of terrorism in many countries.

Speaking on Arise TV, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu, condemned the singer’s alleged disruption of a ValueJet flight from taking off.

“Your first responsibility at the airport is to respect and obey instructions from the officials on ground. The passenger has not done that,” Achimugu said. “What he did in most climes is considered terrorism. You cannot stop an aircraft from taking off. There is nothing that excuses it.”

He said the NCAA would investigate how Ayinde gained access to the restricted area where the incident occurred, stressing that everyone found culpable would face consequences. The probe will involve the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Aviation Security Service (AVSEC), and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

“Did the air traffic control clear the pilot to fly, seeing that it was not safe for her to proceed? All of these questions will be answered during the investigation,” he added.

On August 7, the NCAA petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the incident, which happened during a scheduled ValueJet flight VK201. The authority alleged that Ayinde’s actions violated the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.

The Fuji star has since been placed on a no-fly list pending the outcome of the investigation.

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