By Kunle Sanni –
Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump on Arab and African Affairs, has refuted claims of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, insisting that the extremist group Boko Haram has killed more Muslims than Christians.
Boulos made the statement in an interview on Friday after meeting with President Bola Tinubu on the sidelines of the 2025 Aqaba Process Summit in Rome, Italy. The summit, hosted by Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, focuses on tackling insecurity across West Africa and the wider Sahel region.
Addressing growing concerns from some U.S. lawmakers who have called for sanctions on Nigeria and for the country to be designated a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged Christian persecution, Boulos urged a broader understanding of the crisis.
“Those who know the terrain well know that terrorism has no colour, no religion, and no tribe,” he said. “People of all religions and backgrounds are suffering. Boko Haram and ISIS have killed more Muslims than Christians. This is not about one group being targeted over another.”
Boulos emphasized the need for a unified and holistic approach to combat terrorism, calling for stronger U.S.–Nigeria collaboration to safeguard civilian lives. “Any loss of life is one too many,” he said. “We must work together in partnership to bring an end to this.”
While acknowledging the deadly attacks in Nigeria’s North-Central region — where many Christian communities have been affected — Boulos cautioned against framing the violence in purely religious terms. “It’s not something that is specifically targeted at one group,” he said.
He described Nigeria as a diverse nation — “a melting pot of ethnicities and religions” — and commended recent efforts by the Tinubu administration to improve security, noting that progress is beginning to show.
Boulos reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Nigeria’s counterterrorism and security initiatives.
