By Andrea Shalal and Camillus Eboh
November 1, 20259:47 PM EDT
Security personnel patrol the streets amid a surge in violence in Mangu, Plateau State, Nigeria, January 24, 2024, in this screengrab obtained from video. Reuters TV via REUTERS
Summary
- Trump says he ordered Pentagon to prepare for potential attack on Nigeria
- US president says Nigeria has not done enough to stop killings of Christians
- Nigerian President Tinubu rejects claims of religious intolerance
- Nigeria vows to keep fighting violent extremism
WASHINGTON/ABUJA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he has asked the Defense Department to prepare for possible "fast" military action in Nigeria if the West African nation fails to crack down on the killing of Christians.
The U.S. government will also immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and top oil producer, Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
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If the United States sends in military forces, it would go in "'guns-a-blazing,' to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities," Trump wrote, without providing any evidence of specifics about the treatment of Christians in Nigeria.
Trump called Nigeria a "disgraced country" and warned its government must move quickly. "If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!" he wrote.
Abuja had no immediate reaction to Trump's threat of military action. The White House also had no immediate comment on the potential timing of any U.S. military action.
Although the U.S. Department of Defense referred Reuters to the White House for comment on Trump's threat, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth released a social media post of his own.
"The Department of War is preparing for action," Hegseth wrote on X. "Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities."
Trump's post on Nigeria came a day after his administration added Nigeria back to a "Countries of Particular Concern" list of nations that the U.S. says have violated religious freedom. Other nations on the list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan.
Before Trump posted his attack threat, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier on Saturday pushed back against claims of religious intolerance and defended his country's efforts to protect religious freedom.
"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," Tinubu said in a statement, citing "constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths."
Nigeria's Foreign Ministry, in a separate statement, vowed to keep fighting violent extremism and said it hoped Washington would remain a close ally, saying it "will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion. Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength."
The U.S. military footprint in West Africa was significantly diminished when about 1,000 troops withdrew from Niger last year. While the U.S. sometimes has small groups of troops in the region to take part in drills, the largest U.S. military base on the continent is in East Africa in Djibouti, which hosts over 5,000 troops and is used for operations in the region.
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