U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to halt all American aid to Nigeria and ordered the U.S. Defense Department to prepare for possible military action if the Nigerian government does not stop attacks he says are targeting Christians.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump accused Islamist militants of carrying out a “slaughter” of Christians in Nigeria and warned Washington could “go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’” to “completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists” he blamed for the violence. He added: “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action.”
Nigeria’s government rejected the characterization. Officials and analysts pointed out that the country’s security challenges including Boko Haram, farmer-herder clashes and other local conflicts — have killed and displaced both Christians and Muslims, and that authorities are working with international partners to address the violence.
The president’s post also included a declaration that Nigeria would be listed as a “country of particular concern,” a U.S. designation tied to religious-freedom concerns. The remark and the threatened measures prompted immediate international media coverage and raised questions about the diplomatic and security implications of an unusually forceful U.S. posture toward a sovereign African state.
Reaction in Abuja and among foreign policy observers was swift: some Nigerian officials condemned the language as inflammatory and a breach of diplomatic norms, while U.S. commentators warned of the risks of escalation and urged careful consultation with regional partners.