U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he has instructed the Pentagon to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria, reiterating accusations that the country has failed to do enough to stop violence against Christians — allegations Nigeria has repeatedly rejected.
In a lengthy social-media post condemning what he called the “mass slaughter” of Christians, Trump said the United States would “immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria” and warned the Nigerian government to “move fast.” He added that 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.”
Trump wrote, “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action,” and warned that any attack would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.” U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth echoed the sentiment on social media, sharing a screenshot of Trump’s remarks and asserting that the “Department of War is preparing for action.”
The situation in Nigeria is complex: both Christians and Muslims have been targeted by radical Islamist groups, but much of the violence is also linked to farmer–herder clashes over scarce resources, communal disputes, and ethnic tensions. Local reports indicate that many victims are Muslims in the country’s predominantly Muslim north.
Trump’s military warning follows his Friday designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, a label suggesting the U.S. government has identified “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu responded on social media, saying the label “does not reflect our national reality” and pointed to the government’s efforts to protect freedom of religion for all Nigerians. Tinubu’s office later said Nigeria is working with the U.S. and the international community to enhance cooperation on protecting communities of all faiths.
Tinubu’s press secretary criticized U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s condemnation of the killings as “a gross exaggeration,” noting that “Christians, Muslims, churches and mosques are attacked randomly.” Meanwhile, commentator Bayo Onanuga said Nigeria needs U.S. military support to fight violent extremists in some states, rather than the CPC designation.
Neither the White House nor President Tinubu’s office immediately responded to requests for additional comment.
