Explained: Trump’s threat of military action against Nigeria over treatment of Christians
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that not only military action, but the U.S. government will also immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria. If the United States sends in military forces, it would go in "'guns-a-blazing,' to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities."
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump, with his eyes on nearly every corner of the globe with military escalations or political instability, made Nigeria the subject of his freshest verbal rebuke. On Saturday, the President said he had asked the US Defense Department to prepare for possible "fast" military action in Nigeria if the West African nation fails to crack down on the killing of Christians.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that not only military action, but the U.S. government will also immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria. If the United States sends in military forces, it would go in "'guns-a-blazing,' to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities," Trump said.
Trump’s latest warning
Trump in his verbal tirade against the country called Nigeria a "disgraced country" and warned its government must move quickly. "If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!" he wrote.
Echoing his words was US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth releasing a social media post of his own, where he said, "The Department of War is preparing for action." Writing on X, he said, "Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities."
Just prior to Trump’s comment, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu pushed back against claims of religious intolerance in the country. "The characterization 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," Tinubu said in a statement.
While not authenticated by Trump when he made the accusations, there have been several reports when it comes to injustice against Christian communities in Nigeria. According to the International Christian Concern (ICC), in just over three months in 2025 more than 300 Christians were killed, dozens abducted and thousands displaced across states including Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Ebonyi.
Trump in his turn already designated Nigeria a country of concern during his first Presidential term, a designation removed by Joe Biden when it took over from Trump. On Friday, Trump said "thousands of Christians" were being killed in Nigeria by radical Islamists. While Nigeria has a long history of peaceful coexistence among different religious groups, it has also seen flare-ups of violence recently. Much of this can be attributed to the extremist Islamist armed group Boko Haram, an insurgency that has killed tens of thousands of people over the past 15 years.