Trump Orders Pentagon to Prepare for Possible Nigeria Strike Over Christian Persecution Claim
U.S. President Donald Trump has directed the newly renamed Department of War to ready plans for potential military intervention in Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to halt widespread killings of Christians by Islamist militants.
In a blistering social media post on Saturday, November 1, Trump declared:
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid… and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists… If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet.”Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth swiftly replied: “Yes sir.
The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists.”
The threat follows Trump’s Friday redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under U.S. religious-freedom laws—a label that opens the door to sanctions. He claimed “thousands” of Christians face an “existential threat” from “radical Islamists,” citing unverified figures of 3,100 deaths.
Nigeria’s Response President Bola Tinubu rejected the CPC tag, stating:
Presidential advisor Daniel Bwala, a Christian pastor, told the BBC that Trump’s “unique” style aims to help fight jihadists, but any action must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty. He stressed insurgents kill across faiths.
Fact-Check: Are Christians Disproportionately Targeted?
- Nigeria (220 million people) is roughly 50–50 Muslim–Christian.
- Jihadist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have killed tens of thousands since 2009—most victims Muslim, per the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).
- Central “Middle Belt” clashes between Muslim herders and Christian farmers are mainly over land and water, not religion. Atrocities occur on both sides.
- No credible monitor (ACLED, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch) finds evidence of state-sponsored anti-Christian genocide.
Pressure from U.S. evangelicals and conservatives (e.g., Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Chris Smith) has amplified claims of “Christian mass murder.” Trump, courting this base, re-added Nigeria to the CPC list—removed by Biden in 2021.
What Happens Next?
- Aid freeze: Immediate cutoff of U.S. assistance (military training, humanitarian programs).
- Military odds: Analysts call unilateral strikes unlikely—effective action needs Nigerian forces on the ground. The U.S. has no major base in West Africa.
- Diplomatic push: Tinubu seeks urgent talks; Bwala hopes for a Trump–Tinubu summit.
Trump has long branded himself a “peacemaker” who avoided new wars. This threat—his first foreign-military ultimatum of the second term—marks a sharp escalation.
