US President Donald Trump has indicated that air strikes or boots on the ground could be elements in his plan to “completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists killing Christians in Nigeria.” Labeling Nigeria a “country of particular concern (CPC),” Trump cited claims of Christian genocide in the West African nation as justification for potential military action.
The US leader also issued a stern warning to the Nigerian government to “better move fast” or risk losing all US aid and assistance. Trump threatened to unleash the Department of War in an operation he described as “fast, vicious and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs that attack our cherished Christians.”
Speaking to correspondents before boarding Air Force One on Sunday, Trump emphasized that the United States can no longer afford to ignore the situation. When asked if he envisioned boots on the ground or air strikes as part of his strategy to protect the Christian community in Nigeria, he replied, “yes, there could be.”
“They are killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria. It’s also bad in other countries, you know that,” Trump said. “They are killing Christians in very large numbers. We are not going to allow that to happen.”
However, President Bola Tinubu and members of his administration have consistently rejected the US allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria. On November 1, Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom, stating, “Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.”
“Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions,” he said. “The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians. Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.”
On Saturday, Daniel Bwala, special adviser to the president on policy communication, announced that President Tinubu and Trump are scheduled to meet “in the coming days” to discuss the allegations.
