Ifeanyi Ejiofor, a human rights lawyer and counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has reacted to the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to place Nigeria on the “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) watch list.
Ejiofor described the move as a “bold and unmistakable step” that compels global and domestic reflection on alleged persecution of Christians in the country.
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,” Ejiofor said on Saturday in a statement.
According to him, “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.”
Ejiofor noted that while the Nigerian government has tried to “downplay or deflect global outrage” over persistent attacks against Christian communities, “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.”
He described such efforts as “counter-productive and brutally miscalculated,” adding that the new U.S. stance “elevates 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,” Ejiofor said.
He asserted that “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 him, “thousands of Christians are killed each year, their churches burnt, villages emptied, and ancestral farmlands seized.”
He cited ongoing attacks by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani-linked militias, saying, “These are not random or collateral tragedies. They reflect a pattern of deliberate targeting, of faith, of identity, and of land.”
Ejiofor explained that Trump’s declaration has far-reaching consequences, saying: “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.”
He, however, cautioned that “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,” he said. “There must be no secret trials, no political negotiations, justice must be visible and uncompromising.”
Ejiofor urged the Nigerian government to take the U.S. action seriously, noting 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,” he warned.
“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,” Ejiofor declared.
He concluded with a message of remembrance and resolve: “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.”
Trump designated Nigeria as country of particular concern on Friday citing claims of genocide against Christians as the basis.
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