US President Donald Trump has threatened to launch attacks in Nigeria in reaction to alleged anti-Christian violence, stating that he has directed the recently renamed Department of War to “prepare for possible action.”
In a social media post on Saturday, Trump declared that the United States would immediately cut off all aid to Nigeria “if the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians.”
The US “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,” Trump added, without specifying which groups or alleged “atrocities” he referred to.
“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! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!” he wrote.
The Nigerian government has not yet issued an immediate response to Trump’s threat.
The post came a day after the US president announced that Nigeria would be included in the Department of State’s list of “Countries of Particular Concern,” created to monitor religious persecution globally.
In recent months, right-wing lawmakers and other notable US figures have claimed that violent conflicts in Nigeria are part of an ongoing “Christian genocide.”
While human rights organisations have urged the Nigerian government to do more to address the nation’s insecurity — marked by deadly attacks from Boko Haram and other armed groups — experts have dismissed claims of a “Christian genocide” as misleading and oversimplified.
A few hours before Trump’s warning, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued a statement affirming that his government “continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions.”
“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 on Saturday.
“Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it. Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths,” the statement continued.
“Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths.”
Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also reaffirmed the nation’s dedication to protecting all its citizens.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion,” Ebienfa stated on Saturday.
“Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength.”
