The United States President, Donald Trump, has threatened to deploy military forces in Nigeria if the alleged genocide against Christians is not stopped in the country.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, directed the Department of War to prepare for “possible action” if the killings continued.
The US President also threatened to halt all aid and assistance to Nigeria if President Bola Tinubu’s administration failed to end the alleged persecution and killing of Christians.
“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.
“I am hereby instructing 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 said.
The Federal Government has yet to respond to the threat as of press time.
Tinubu rejects US claim
Trump’s latest declaration comes barely 24 hours after he designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, lamenting that Christians were facing an “existential threat” in the country.
In a post on Friday, he wrote, “Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern.’ But that is the least of it. When Christians—or any such group—are slaughtered as is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done!”
President Bola Tinubu faulted the decision, which he described as a misrepresentation of the country’s religious reality.
Reacting through a statement on his official X handle on Saturday, Tinubu said the designation was baseless and failed to reflect the country’s constitutional commitment to religious liberty.
“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” the President said.
He insisted that religious freedom and tolerance were “core tenets” of Nigeria’s identity, adding that the government remained committed to protecting all citizens regardless of faith.
“Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it,” he added.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the Federal Government was already in talks with the US over the matter.
“We will continue to engage the United States Government through our missions in Washington DC, Atlanta, and New York on this matter. Discussions will also continue with the American Embassy in Abuja,” he said.
Our correspondents also gathered that some lawmakers had been selected to travel to Washington to meet US congressmen before Trump’s announcement.
A ranking member of the House of Representatives told Sunday PUNCH that the visit would now be fast-tracked.
“The President’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern does not make it law. It will have to go through US lawmakers. A delegation, of which I am a member, was already scheduled to visit US congressmen before this declaration, and that visit will now be expedited,” the lawmaker said.
Onanuga faults genocide claims
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described claims of Christian genocide as “gross exaggeration.”
Responding to a post by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who alleged that Fulani militias and radical Islamists were slaughtering Christians in Nigeria, Onanuga insisted that insecurity in the country was not religiously motivated.
“Dear Secretary Rubio, there is no ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria. What we do have are sporadic attacks on villages by bandits and terrorists, and these attacks are religiously insensitive. Christians, Muslims, churches, and mosques are attacked randomly,” he wrote.
Onanuga added, “What our country needs from America is military support to fight violent extremists in some states, not a designation as a ‘Country of Particular Concern.’”
In another post, he stated pointedly, “Secretary Rubio, Muslim lives matter too.”
Ex-diplomat warns of diplomatic fallout
A former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi, warned that Trump’s decision could strain Nigeria’s global image and weaken key international partnerships.
He said the designation risked portraying Nigeria as intolerant of religious freedom, which could affect its diplomatic and economic relations with Western nations.
“This will make America and its allies see Nigeria as a country where freedom of worship is not adequately protected. That is bad for our image,” Farounbi said.
He urged the government to present verifiable data showing its efforts to prosecute perpetrators of sectarian violence and protect all victims regardless of faith.
“America’s concern isn’t just about the killings but about how the Nigerian government responds. The US wants to see that victims are treated fairly under the rule of law.”
Farounbi cautioned that the move could also jeopardise military cooperation with the US and its allies, which Nigeria relies on for intelligence sharing, training, and access to critical weapon systems.
“Nigeria stands to lose a lot—visa approvals, grants, and key diplomatic relationships. We are fighting insecurity in the West African region and need global collaboration. This declaration could put that at risk,” he warned.
Nigeria’s arms partnerships
Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows that Nigeria remains one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest importers of arms, with the United States, China, Italy, Turkey, and Russia as its major suppliers.
Key acquisitions include 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft purchased from the US under a $500m deal signed in 2018, and another $997m package for 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters approved in 2022.
In August 2025, Washington approved an additional $346m potential sale, further strengthening defence ties between both countries.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria spent N777.1bn on arms imports between 2020 and 2024, and N26.95bn in the first half of 2025 alone.
Bishop Kukah urges restraint
Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has urged Nigerians to remain calm and avoid hasty conclusions.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH in Sokoto, Kukah said it was too early to assess the full implications of the American decision.
“I have not had time to study the full details of the statement, but we must wait to see its outcome. Let us see what lessons can be drawn from this development for our national growth,” he said.
He cautioned against emotional reactions, adding that similar challenges existed in many countries.
Also, the regional leader of the Church of Christ in Nations, Evangelist Ezekiel Dachomo, described the designation as a “victory for Nigerian Christians.”
Dachomo, who drew global attention during the mass burial of victims of a recent attack in Heipang, Plateau State, said Trump’s declaration validated long-standing concerns about religious persecution.
“The world is finally acknowledging the cries of Nigerian Christians who have suffered years of attacks without adequate protection,” he said, expressing hope that the move would spur Nigerian authorities to act more decisively to protect citizens.
“We don’t hate Muslims. We hate terrorists and the evil that turns people against one another. This country belongs to all of us—both Christians and Muslims,” he added.
Credit: The Punch