US President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy American forces to Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” unless the government halts what he described as the killing of Christians by militants.
In a fiery post on Truth Social, Trump claimed he had instructed the Pentagon to prepare a plan of attack, saying Christianity faced “an existential threat in Nigeria.” He warned that Washington could cut off all aid and “completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists” if Abuja failed to act.
“If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians,” Trump wrote, warning Nigerian authorities to “move fast.”
Nigeria has long been gripped by overlapping conflicts that have claimed tens of thousands of lives among both Christians and Muslims. Experts say the violence often stems from land disputes, poverty, and regional rivalries rather than religion alone.
Trump’s remarks followed his declaration that Nigeria should be reclassified by the US State Department as a “Country of Particular Concern.” Several Republican lawmakers, including Senator Ted Cruz and Congressman Chris Smith, have echoed his claims, accusing Abuja of ignoring the “mass murder” of Christians.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected the allegations, saying they misrepresented the country’s religious landscape. “Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” Tinubu posted on X.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is almost evenly split between a Muslim-majority north and a largely Christian south. The country’s northeast remains the epicentre of Boko Haram’s insurgency, which the UN says has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced millions since 2009.
