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United States President, Donald Trump, said Saturday he has ordered the Defense Department to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria, accusing the West African nation of failing to curb what he described as “mass slaughter” of Christians — a claim Nigeria’s government has repeatedly rejected.
In a fiery social media post, President Trump warned that the United States would “immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria” and signaled potential military intervention, saying the U.S. “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,” Trump wrote. “If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!”
The statement — which follows Trump’s Friday decision to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act — marks one of the sharpest escalations in rhetoric between Washington and Abuja in recent years.
According to CNN, the U.S. designation implies that the Trump administration believes Nigeria has “engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
Read more: Trump labels Nigeria “country of particular concern” over reported killing of Christians
In apparent support of Trump’s remarks, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded on social media:
“Yes sir. The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately. The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
However, the situation in Nigeria is far more complex than the U.S. president’s statements suggest. Both Christians and Muslims have been victims of attacks by armed groups in the country, with violence driven by a mix of factors — from religious extremism to farmer-herder conflicts over shrinking resources, and communal tensions across ethnic lines.
Local reports indicate that many of the victims of insurgent attacks are Muslims living in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim northern regions.
Responding to Trump’s accusations, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu rejected claims of religious persecution, calling them “a mischaracterization of Nigeria’s national reality.”
“The characterisation 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 post on social media.
He added that his government is working with the United States and the wider international community “to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths.”
Tinubu’s press secretary also dismissed remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had condemned what he called “the slaughter of thousands of Christians,” describing the statement as “a gross exaggeration of the Nigerian situation.”
“Christians, Muslims, churches, and mosques are attacked randomly,” the press secretary said.
As of Sunday, the Pentagon had not confirmed any active military mobilization but said it was “reviewing the President’s directive and monitoring developments closely.”
International observers warn that any U.S. military intervention could inflame regional tensions, potentially complicating Nigeria’s already fragile security environment.
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