The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Wednesday publicly addressed United States President Donald Trump concerning his recent remarks on the alleged “mass killings” of Christians in Nigeria, asserting that claims of targeted persecution “is simply not true.”

Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a recognized human rights activist, penned an open letter to President Trump, drawing on his background as a Christian and a recipient of the Global Human Rights Award in 2017 in Washington.

He emphasized that his ethical background would not allow him to serve in a government that condoned such acts.

The Minister, who was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, dismissed the assertion that Christians are being specifically targeted in Nigeria on account of their faith.

He stated clearly, “Because of my strong Christian background and ethical pedigree, it would have been most unconscionable for me to associate with – let alone accept to serve or continue to serve – a government if truly there is any scintilla of truth in the assertion that Christians are SPECIFICALLY targeted in Nigeria for persecution, killings or harassment ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR FAITH. It is simply not true.”

Keyamo acknowledged Nigeria’s security challenges, but attributed them to long-standing criminal and terrorist groups, noting that the violence impacts all citizens regardless of religion.

He wrote: “Just like the U.S and many countries in the world, we have faced our own fair share of societal violence; ours has been perpetrated by deadly groups known as Boko Haram (now seriously decimated), herdsmen, and cattle rustlers. These decades-old problems were inherited by our President who has made great progress in the fight against these insurgents.”

Defending President Tinubu’s non-sectarian approach to governance, Keyamo highlighted the President’s personal history and appointments.

He stressed the interfaith balance within the country’s leadership: “In fact, most of the security Chiefs appointed by him are Christians, so it would be unthinkable to imagine them being complicit in the killing of fellow Christians in Nigeria.”

He further emphasized President Tinubu’s moderate stance, stating: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, though a Muslim, is a known ‘moderate’, whose wife is a Pastor of one of the biggest Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria and most of his children are practising Christians. When he was Governor of Lagos State, he regularly invited Christian Pastors for prayers and worship sessions at the Government House. He will be the last person to either adopt the killing of Christians as a State Policy, or condone such acts or be complicit in them.”

Keyamo pointed to Nigeria’s legal structure, noting that the Constitution guarantees religious freedom: “Nigeria is a secular State and our Constitution explicitly provides for freedom of religion and prohibits the adoption of a State religion, reflecting its status as a multi-faith nation. This legal framework underpins the country’s diverse religious landscape, which includes significant populations of Muslims, Christians, and adherents of traditional African religions, coexisting within a nation’s space.”

He reiterated that the insecurity has been indiscriminate, affecting all citizens: “In all honesty, the insecurity in some parts of the country over the years has impacted adherents of all religions and this government has not sought to protect one set of adherents and ignore the others.”

The Minister asserted that even opposition political leaders in Nigeria are unified on this matter. “Ordinarily, opposition politicians will oppose the government of the day. But on this matter, President Trump, you would have observed that leaders of the opposition parties in Nigeria are united on one point: there is no TARGETED killing of Christians in Nigeria.”

He concluded by appealing for understanding and cooperation from the US government to address terrorism, stating: “President Trump, the Nigerian people ask for deep and sincere understanding from your government at this point; the Nigerian people ask for support and cooperation from your government at this point to confront this decades-old menace of terrorism; we ask for collaboration; we ask for frank and open dialogue at this time with your government; we ask that you broaden your sources of information at this time so as to get a balanced view of the happenings in Nigeria.”