In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic rhetoric, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has instructed the U.S. Department of Defense to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria if the Nigerian government fails to stop what he has described as the “killing of Christians” in the country. 

At the same time, Trump declared an immediate halt to all U.S. aid and assistance to Nigeria, warning that the next step may involve deploying U.S. military forces. 

The Statement and Its Language

In a message posted on the social-media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that the United States “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.” 

He continued: 

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!

The message frames the situation as an existential threat to Christians, with Trump declaring that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” in an earlier statement when Nigeria was added to the U.S. list of “Countries of Particular Concern” for religious-freedom violations. 

Nigeria’s Response

The government of Nigeria swiftly rejected the allegations and reaffirmed its constitutional commitment to protect freedom of religion for all citizens. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja said:

The Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion. Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was quoted emphasising that the portrayal of Nigeria as lacking religious tolerance “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.” 

The Context of Violence in Nigeria

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has nearly balanced populations of Christians and Muslims and a long history of communal, sectarian and resource-based conflicts. 

Key points:

  • The north-eastern region has borne the brunt of violence for over a decade from militant group Boko Haram and its splinter formations, with tens of thousands of casualties — most of them Muslims. 

  • Inter-communal conflicts, especially between herders and farmers, often carry overlapping religious or ethnic identities but are also driven by environmental stress and land-use pressure. 

Therefore, while there is documented violence affecting Christian communities, many analysts caution that the picture is more complex than straightforward religious persecution.