U.S. President Donald Trump has directed the military to prepare for potential action in Nigeria targeting Islamist militant groups, accusing the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians.
While Trump did not specify which incidents he was referring to, claims of a “genocide” against Christians in Nigeria have been circulating in some right-wing circles in the United States in recent months.
However, organizations tracking violence in Nigeria report no evidence that Christians are being targeted more than Muslims in a country that is almost evenly split between the two faiths.
A spokesperson for Nigeria’s president told the BBC that any military operations against jihadist groups should be conducted jointly.
Daniel Bwala said that Nigeria would welcome U.S. assistance in combating Islamist insurgents but emphasized that the country remained “sovereign.”
He added that the jihadist groups were not targeting any specific religion, noting that their attacks had claimed the lives of people from all faiths — and those with none.
President Bola Tinubu has maintained that Nigeria upholds religious tolerance, stressing that the nation’s security challenges affect citizens “across faiths and regions.”
In a social media post on Saturday, Donald Trump announced that he had directed the U.S. Department of War to prepare for “possible action” in Nigeria.
The following day, Trump reiterated that the U.S. could deploy troops or launch airstrikes to stop what he described as the killing of Christians.
“They’re killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria. They’re killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen,” Trump said.
In Saturday’s post, he warned that he might send the military into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” unless the Nigerian government acted, adding that all U.S. aid to what he called “the now disgraced country” would be suspended.
“If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet — just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!” Trump wrote.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the post, saying: “Yes, sir. The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian government protects Christians, or we will eliminate the Islamic terrorists committing these atrocities.”
Trump’s remarks sparked widespread concern in Nigeria. Many citizens took to social media urging the government to intensify its fight against Islamist groups to prevent any foreign military intervention.
Bwala, who identified himself as a Christian pastor, told the BBC’s Newshour program that Trump had a “unique way of communicating” and that Nigeria was not interpreting his words literally.
“We understand that Trump’s intention is to help us fight insecurity,” he said, expressing hope that Trump and President Tinubu would meet in the coming days to discuss the issue.
Trump earlier announced that he had designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing what he described as an “existential threat” to the nation’s Christian population. He claimed that “thousands” had been killed, though he did not present any evidence.
The designation, used by the U.S. State Department, allows for sanctions against countries found to be “engaged in severe violations of religious freedom.”
Following the announcement, President Bola Tinubu stated that his government remained committed to working with the United States and the wider international community to protect people of all faiths.
“The portrayal of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” Tinubu said in a statement.
Militant groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have devastated parts of north-eastern Nigeria for over a decade, killing thousands — the majority of whom have been Muslims, according to data from ACLED, an organization that tracks political violence worldwide.
In central Nigeria, deadly clashes frequently erupt between predominantly Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities over access to land and water.
These cycles of retaliatory attacks have left thousands dead, but human rights groups report that both sides have committed atrocities and that there is no evidence Christians are being disproportionately targeted.
Although Trump has often highlighted his record of avoiding new wars and portrayed himself as a peace-oriented leader, he is now facing mounting pressure from conservative circles in the U.S. who have been drawing attention to the situation in Nigeria.
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