Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday condemned the escalating violence against Christian communities in Nigeria, describing the repeated church burnings, abductions and killings as “unacceptable” and pledging Rome’s diplomatic support to curb the bloodshed.
Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Meloni singled out the recent wave of raids on schools and places of worship, including the abduction of over 300 pupils and staff from a Catholic institution in Niger State.
“What is happening to Christians in Nigeria is unacceptable,” Meloni declared. “Churches are burned, priests are killed, entire communities live in fear. Italy cannot remain silent in the face of such barbarity.”
She announced that Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has been instructed to raise the issue at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council and with UN counterparts, adding: “We will push for concrete measures — from humanitarian corridors to stronger pressure on Abuja — because religious freedom is a cornerstone of civilisation.”
Meloni’s intervention marks the strongest European rebuke yet amid a diplomatic storm sparked by US President Donald Trump’s threats of military action and aid cuts over what he labels a “genocide” of Nigerian Christians. Rights monitors report more than 5,000 faith-motivated deaths since 2020, predominantly in the Middle Belt and northwest.
The Italian leader, whose government has deepened ties with African nations on migration and energy, urged Nigeria to “act decisively” against perpetrators, stating: “No country can claim sovereignty while allowing its citizens to be slaughtered because of their faith.”
