US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he had directed the Pentagon to start planning possible military action in Nigeria.
He accused the Nigerian government of failing to curb the persecution of Christians in the West African country. Trump posted on social media:
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing, to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!”
The warning of possible US military action came after Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu pushed back against Donald Trump’s announcement on Friday that he was designating the West African country “a country of particular concern” over alleged persecution of Christians.
In a social media statement on Saturday, Tinubu said the designation did not reflect Nigeria’s national reality.
Trump had claimed that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” and blamed “radical Islamists” for the violence.
His comments came weeks after US Senator Ted Cruz urged Congress to label Nigeria a violator of religious freedom, citing alleged “Christian mass murder.”
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with around 220 million people, is roughly evenly split between Christians and Muslims.
Attacks across the country have multiple motives, including religious violence, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist movements, and ethnic tensions.
Reports indicate that since 2009, more than 52,000 Christians have been killed due to religious persecution, with over 7,000 deaths reported in 2025 alone.
However, analysts argue that the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims, particularly in the country’s Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to protecting citizens of all religions.
For comments, Feedback and Opinions do get in touch with our editor on WhatsApp: +44 7949 297606.
