A video of Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, a Nigerian pastor, begging for American assistance to halt the alleged killing of Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt has been posted by US President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, Trump shared the video again on his Truth Social account without including any additional text. In the video, Reverend Dachomo, a member of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Plateau State, is seen giving a speech at a mass funeral for terrorist attack victims.
The pastor makes a direct appeal to the world community while pointing to bodies in a mass grave in the poignant video, which went viral six months ago. “Take a look at it now. Are there any Muslims present? Reverend Dachomo inquired. “I am aware that you are observing me, United Nations. You are listening to what I have to say, American Senate. Please tell Trump to spare our lives in Nigeria, Special Advisor to Trump. In Nigeria, Christians are being massacred and killed. If they claim that Muslims are being murdered, who is doing it? by Muslims.
The repost was made just hours after Trump declared that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the global second-in-command of the Islamic State, had been killed by U.S. forces working with the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Trump claimed in a statement on Truth Social that the operation was meticulously planned and carried out with intelligence assistance that monitored the terrorist leader’s movements throughout Africa. Al-Minuki’s passing, he continued, would seriously impair ISIS’s international activities and reduce the group’s influence throughout the continent.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth commended the operation on X, saying that Nigerian and American forces were able to locate and eliminate the ISIS leader who was allegedly organizing assaults on Christian communities. Hegseth added, “Operations like last night’s demonstrate the exceptional lethality, patience, and skill of U.S. forces.” “This should serve as a reminder that, wherever they may be, we will pursue those who wish to harm Americans or innocent Christians.”
The discussion about religious violence in Nigeria has resurfaced as a result of Trump’s decision to release the video. The Nigerian government has long denied accusations of a “Christian genocide,” arguing that the crisis is caused by terrorism and banditry impacting numerous communities, despite some foreign observers characterizing the violence as targeted persecution targeting Christians.
The Trump administration has previously addressed these issues. In the past, Trump launched airstrikes against terrorist enclaves in Sokoto State on Christmas Day 2025 and renamed Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” due to breaches of religious freedom.
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