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U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Nigeria on Saturday, threatening to deploy U.S. forces to the West African nation if its government fails to address what he characterized as the systematic killing of Christians by extremists.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he has directed the Pentagon to prepare potential military options against Africa's most populous country, escalating rhetoric he began just one day earlier.
"If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. 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," Trump wrote.
The president added that he has instructed "our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians."
He concluded his message with an ultimatum: "WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!"
The threat follows a Friday post in which Trump claimed, without providing evidence, that "thousands of Christians are being killed (and) Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter."
Nigeria faces multiple internal conflicts that security experts say have claimed lives across religious lines, affecting both Christians and Muslims. The country of more than 200 million people is roughly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south, with ethnic, religious and regional tensions that have historically fueled violence and continue to influence the nation's political landscape.
Allegations of Christian persecution have gained traction among some groups within Nigeria, though analysts note the country's security challenges are complex and multifaceted.
Trump, a Republican who previously campaigned unsuccessfully for the Nobel Peace Prize, has not detailed what specific incidents prompted his warnings or clarified the legal basis for potential military intervention.
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