U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he has directed the Pentagon to start preparing for potential military intervention in Nigeria, expressing concerns about the government’s failure to address the persecution of Christians in the West African nation.
In a social media message, Trump warned that if the Nigerian authorities do not take action to stop the violence against Christians, the U.S. will halt all aid and support to Nigeria and may consider military action to eliminate the Islamic extremist groups responsible for the atrocities.
The President’s remarks followed Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s response to Trump’s earlier declaration naming Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” for not curbing the persecution of Christians. Tinubu emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom and tolerance, refuting claims of religious intolerance in the country.
Trump had previously stated that Christianity is under serious threat in Nigeria, attributing the violence to radical Islamist groups. This assertion aligns with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s call on Congress to classify Nigeria as a violator of religious freedom due to reported incidents of mass killings of Christians.
Nigeria, with a population of 220 million evenly divided between Christians and Muslims, faces security challenges from various sources, including the Boko Haram insurgency. While attacks in the country have diverse motivations, analysts note that Muslims are the primary targets of armed groups in the Muslim-majority northern region.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguarding citizens of all faiths, emphasizing the importance of unity in diversity as a strength for the nation. The U.S. had previously placed Nigeria on the list of countries with systematic religious freedom violations in 2020, a designation that was lifted in 2023 to promote bilateral relations between the two countries.