President Donald Trump on Saturday told the U.S. Defense Department to “prepare for possible action” in Nigeria and warned he would cut off all aid if the Nigerian government “continues to allow the killing of Christians,” saying U.S. forces could go in “guns‑a‑blazing” to “completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists” he blamed for the violence.
Trump made the comments in posts on his social platform, instructing what he called the “Department of War” to ready plans for an intervention and writing that any attack would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.” Those remarks mark a sharp escalation in rhetoric toward Nigeria and its government.
Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, rejected the characterization that the country is religiously intolerant, saying on X that the portrayal “does not reflect our national reality” and stressing that religious freedom “has been a core tenet of our collective identity.” Tinubu said his government remains committed to protecting citizens of all faiths.
The move follows renewed pressure from U.S. lawmakers and watchdogs: Sen. Ted Cruz and others have urged action, accusing Nigerian officials of failing to stop mass attacks on Christians, and the bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended listing Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” in its 2025 report. Trump said he had directed Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole to investigate the matter.
Analysts and reporting note the violence in Nigeria has complex causes. Insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and communal conflicts between farmers and herders have fueled attacks that have targeted both Christians and Muslims, and some data show substantial casualties among Muslim communities in northern regions as well. Nigerian officials and some analysts say there is no credible evidence of a government‑led, systematic campaign to target a single religion.
Requests for immediate comment from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Nigerian Embassy were not answered at the time of reporting. International reaction and the possible next steps whether sanctions, a formal State Department designation, or any military planning beyond the president’s order to “prepare” remain uncertain.
