A leader from a Nigerian mission has expressed that President Donald Trump’s initiative to address the violence against Christians in Nigeria is seen as a “answered prayer.”

Andrew Gwaivangmin, who serves as the executive secretary for the Nigeria Evangelical Missions Association, conveyed to Fox News that there is a sense of excitement among Christians due to Trump’s commitment to halting the ongoing killings of believers, which have plagued the nation for years.

“We have been calling out to the global community to compel our government to take necessary action. This marks the first time America is directing its attention towards the violence in Nigeria. As a Christian, I am thrilled,” Gwaivangmin stated.

He further commented, “I am pleased that Trump is concentrating on putting an end to this violence. Those who do not support Trump’s intervention likely fail to grasp the severity and extent of the violence that has unfolded in northern Nigeria over the past decade.”

Meanwhile, Catholic congregants gathered for Mass at the Church of the Assumption in Lagos on April 21, 2025, amid heightened tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed warning of potential military action in response to the ongoing killings of Christians in Nigeria.

Trump threatened in a November Truth Social post to send U.S. troops “guns-a-blazing” into the most populous country in Africa to “completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.” The president also threatened to stop all aid and assistance if the violence continued.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu responded to Trump’s threat, writing on social media that his administration has worked with Christian and Muslim leaders to address security challenges affecting citizens across all faiths and regions.

“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians,” he wrote on X.

“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.”

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu speaks with his aide during the 64th ECOWAS Heads of State and Government ordinary session in Abuja on Dec. 10, 2023. (Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images)

Open Doors, an international Christian organization that supports persecuted believers, said attacks are most common in the northern, Muslim-majority states of Nigeria but have started spreading into the Middle Belt and farther south.

The organization stated that Christians are at risk from targeted attacks by Islamist militants, including Fulani fighters and Boko Haram. Women are often killed and subjected to sexual violence.

Gwaivangmin told Fox News that many of his organization’s missionaries have been attacked and killed.

“We’ve had casualties. We’ve had to bury our missionaries. Our missionaries have to directly relocate. In fact, I can tell you that today, we have hundreds of widows whose husbands have been killed in their field as missionaries,” he said.

Catholics gather for Mass at the Church of the Assumption in Lagos on April 21, 2025. (Olympia De Maismont/AFP via Getty Images)

“It’s not easy to be a Christian in Nigeria, and sadly, our government doesn’t seem to care to hold people accountable for all the killings, the mass killings that occur in this country,” Gwaivangmin added.

The leader of the largest global missions organization for the Nigerian Christian church said he would welcome U.S. military involvement to help end the violence. He believes having American boots on the ground isn’t realistic, but hopes the United States can provide logistical support and equipment to strengthen Nigeria’s forces.