Trump threatens military action in Nigeria over Christian persecution

By Yahaya Idris

The U.S., President Donald Trump has announced on Saturday, November 1, 2025, that he has directed the Department of Defense to prepare for possible military intervention in Nigeria.

This comes amid his repeated accusations that the Nigerian government has failed to curb violence against Christians, allegations that Nigerian officials have consistently denied.

In a strong social media post, Trump condemned the “mass slaughter” of Christians in Nigeria and warned that the United States would “immediately stop all aid and assistance” to Nigeria unless swift action is taken.

Trump further stated that the U.S. may “go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists” responsible for these acts, declaring any potential military action would be “swift, fierce, and decisive.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s sentiments.

Following the US threat, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rejected Trump’s claims, emphasizing that Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom and tolerance and denying that the country fosters religious persecution.

The violence in Nigeria involves complex factors, including religious tensions, farmer-herder conflicts, and ethnic strife, affecting both Christian and Muslim communities across the country with over 230 million people.

Trump on Friday said “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” and “radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.”

Trump’s comment came weeks after U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz urged Congress to designate Africa’s most populous country as a violator of religious freedom with claims of “Christian mass murder.”

Nigeria’s population of 220 million is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims. The country has long faced insecurity from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough. Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives.

There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes.

While Christians are among those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur.

Kimiebi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reiterated the commitment of Nigeria to protect citizens of all religions.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion,” Ebienfa said in a statement on Saturday. “Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength.”

Nigeria was placed on the country of particular concern list by the U.S. for the first time in 2020 over what the State Department called “systematic violations of religious freedom.” The designation, which did not single out attacks on Christians, was lifted in 2023 in what observers saw as a way to improve ties between the countries ahead of then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit.

There are reports which indicate that a significant number of victims are Muslims in the predominantly Muslim northern regions of Nigeria, challenging the singular narrative of Christian persecution.