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US President Donald Trump escalated warnings against Nigeria on Saturday, threatening to deploy the American military into the country with “guns-a-blazing” if the African nation does not immediately stop what he characterised as the mass killing of Christians by terrorists.
In his social media post, Trump stated he had instructed the Pentagon (referred to as the “Department of War”) to map out a possible, “fast, vicious, and sweet” plan of attack.
He also warned that the US would immediately cut off all aid and assistance to Nigeria if the violence continued.
The threat came as conservative US politicians, including Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Chris Smith, amplified accusations that the Nigerian government was ignoring an “existential threat” or “genocide” against its Christian population.
Smith successfully pushed for the nation to be designated a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) by the State Department.
However, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu countered the US claims, stating that the “characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality” and affirming the country’s commitment to religious freedom.
Furthermore, security experts highlight that Nigeria is embroiled in numerous complex conflicts—such as the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast and clashes over land between Muslim herders and Christian farmers—which have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of both Christian and Muslim citizens, suggesting the violence is not purely religious.
