Nicki Minaj - the US-based, multi-million-selling Trinidadian rapper - has publicly backed President Donald Trump's allegations that Christians face persecution in Nigeria.
In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, Minaj said on Tuesday at a UN event organised by the US, adding that Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart … simply because of how they pray.
This follows recent threats by Trump to send troops into Nigeria guns a-blazing if its government continues to allow the killing of Christians.
But the Nigerian presidency asserts the widespread violence affects all, regardless of background or belief.
Minaj, whose full name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, stated that advocating for the protection of Christians is about uniting humanity and not about taking sides. This is about standing up in the face of injustice. It's about what I've always stood for, she said while standing alongside US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz.
She also thanked Trump for prioritizing the issue and praised Nigeria as a nation with deep faith traditions.
Waltz expressed gratitude to Minaj for using her platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, while also acknowledging the ongoing debates in Washington over the nature of the violence.
Overall, Minaj's intervention at the UN marks a critical intersection of celebrity influence and political activism addressing a complex humanitarian crisis.
