U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a fiery warning to Nigeria, threatening to deploy American troops “guns-a-blazing” if the country fails to halt what he described as the ongoing persecution and killing of Christians by Islamist groups.
In a strongly worded message shared on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump claimed he had directed the Pentagon to draft a potential plan of attack. This came a day after he alleged that Christianity was “facing an existential threat in Nigeria.”
“If the Nigerian Government continues to tolerate the killing of Christians, the U.S. will immediately cut off all aid and may consider military intervention to eliminate the terrorists responsible for these atrocities,” Trump wrote.
He went further to say that he had ordered the “Department of War” to prepare for a swift and forceful response, promising that any U.S. strike would be “fast, vicious, and sweet — just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians.” He ended his post with a stern warning: “The Nigerian government better move fast!”
Nigeria continues to grapple with multiple violent conflicts, including clashes between armed groups and communal violence, which have claimed the lives of both Christians and Muslims.
On Friday, Trump had claimed — without providing evidence — that “thousands of Christians are being killed” and that “Radical Islamists” were responsible.
While reports of attacks on Christian communities do exist, analysts note that the violence in Nigeria is complex, often rooted in ethnic, political, and economic tensions rather than purely religious motives. The country remains almost evenly split between a Muslim-majority north and a largely Christian south, a divide that continues to shape its national politics and security landscape.
AFP