United States President Donald Trump has issued a strong warning to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, threatening possible military intervention if the Nigerian government fails to stop the killings of Christians across the country.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social account on Saturday, Trump alleged that Nigeria had become “a disgraced country,” adding that the U.S. could “go in, guns blazing,” to eliminate what he described as Islamic terrorists responsible for the killings.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action,” Trump declared.
“If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet — just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians. WARNING: The Nigerian government better move fast!”
The comments came barely 24 hours after the U.S. government reclassified Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged systematic persecution and killing of Christians.
On Friday, Trump had earlier said that Christianity faced “an existential threat” in Nigeria, claiming that thousands of Christians were being killed annually by radical Islamists.
“When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria, something must be done,” he said, while directing U.S. lawmakers to investigate the situation.
He named Congressman Riley Moore and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole to spearhead the probe, stressing that America would not stand idle “while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and other nations.”
The CPC designation, issued under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, targets countries accused of severe violations of religious freedom, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and prolonged detentions. The designation could attract economic sanctions and other diplomatic actions.
Nigeria was previously listed as a CPC during Trump’s first term between 2017 and 2021 but was removed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
Reacting to the renewed U.S. designation, the Nigerian government had earlier denied allegations of religious persecution.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, described the claims by U.S. lawmakers as “false and misleading.”
“The Nigerian government does not deliberately indulge one religion to exterminate another,” Ebienfa said in a statement to The Whistler.
“From Boko Haram and ISWAP to bandits, these groups kill both Christians and Muslims. It is not true that the targets are only Christians.”
He added that the Nigerian government had written formally to the U.S. to clarify the situation and reject the allegations.
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