American rap superstar Onika Maraj-Petty, widely known as Nicki Minaj, has become the first female rapper to speak at a United Nations forum.
Minaj delivered her remarks on Tuesday at an event hosted in New York by the United States Mission to the United Nations. Her address was streamed on the Mission’s official YouTube channel.
In her speech, Minaj raised concerns about escalating attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
“Back in way too many places… in Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed,” she said. “Churches have been burned, families torn apart, and entire communities live in fear simply because of how they pray.”
She called for urgent international attention to the crisis, adding that the issue extends beyond Nigeria.
“Sadly, this problem is not only growing in Nigeria but also in several other countries across the world — and it demands urgent action,” she stated.
Minaj emphasized that advocating for the protection of Christians should not be misconstrued as fueling division.
“Protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides. It is about uniting humanity,” she said. “Nigeria is a beautiful nation with deep faith traditions — and many beautiful Barbz I can’t wait to see.”
Addressing attacks on religious centres, she noted:
“When a church, mosque, or place of worship is destroyed, everyone’s heart should break a little. And the foundation of the United Nations, with its mandate for peace and security, should shake.”
She also commended interfaith leaders working toward peace and understanding, expressing hope that their efforts would inspire global solidarity to protect the right to worship freely.
Her remarks came the same day police confirmed the killing of two worshippers during an attack on a church in Kwara State, and the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State — two of whom later escaped. A teacher and a security guard, both Muslims, were also killed in the incident.
U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz applauded Minaj for using her platform to draw attention to “the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said on Wednesday that he was deeply pained by the recent abductions in Kebbi and the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba alongside other soldiers in Borno State.
“As the Commander-in-Chief, I am depressed by the tragic deaths of our soldiers on active duty,” Tinubu said in a post on X, praying for strength and comfort for their families as well as the families of the kidnapped schoolgirls.
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