U.S. Considers Military Action Amid Allegations of Christian Persecution in Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria — Rising tensions between the United States and Nigeria have reached a critical point as President Donald Trump has instructed the Pentagon to prepare for possible military intervention. This directive follows Trump’s accusations that the Nigerian government is failing to protect Christians from persecution in the region.
The U.S. President further threatened to halt all aid to Nigeria if the situation persists. In a provocative social media post, Trump declared, “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
This announcement came shortly after Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu responded to Trump’s previous remarks labeling Nigeria as “a country of particular concern” due to the alleged religious intolerance. Tinubu refuted these claims, emphasizing in a statement that religious freedom and tolerance are integral to Nigeria’s identity.
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” Tinubu stated. “Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it. Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.”
The issue of religious freedom in Nigeria has drawn international attention, with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz recently advocating for the country to be designated as a violator of religious rights, citing “Christian mass murder.”
Nigeria’s diverse population of 220 million is nearly evenly divided between Christians and Muslims. The country faces security challenges from groups like Boko Haram, which aims to impose its interpretation of Islamic law. While Christians are victims of these attacks, analysts suggest that the majority of victims are Muslims, particularly in Nigeria’s northern regions where most violence occurs.
Violence in Nigeria is driven by multiple factors, including religious conflicts affecting both Christians and Muslims, resource disputes between farmers and herders, communal tensions, secessionist movements, and ethnic rivalries.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting all citizens, regardless of their beliefs. “The Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion,” Ebienfa assured. “Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength.”
In 2020, Nigeria was placed on the U.S. list of countries of particular concern for religious freedom violations. However, this designation was removed in 2023, which many viewed as a diplomatic move to strengthen relations ahead of then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit.
