Trump Unleashes Fury on Nigeria: ‘Guns-a-Blazing’ Threat Issued as Christian Persecution Reaches Boiling Point
- US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to prepare for potential military action in Nigeria amid allegations of Christian persecution.
- Trump has warned that the US will “immediately stop all aid and assistance” to Nigeria if the government fails to address the issue.
- Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rejected Trump’s claims, saying the country opposes religious persecution and has constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.
- The move comes weeks after US Senator Ted Cruz urged Congress to designate Nigeria as a violator of religious freedom.
In a dramatic escalation of tensions, US President Donald Trump has threatened to unleash military action on Nigeria, warning that the country’s government is failing to rein in the persecution of Christians. In a series of fiery social media posts, Trump vowed to “immediately stop all aid and assistance” to Nigeria if the situation does not improve, and even hinted at a potential military intervention.
“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,” Trump wrote.
The move has sparked a fierce backlash from Nigerian authorities, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejecting Trump’s claims and insisting that the country opposes religious persecution. “Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” Tinubu said in a statement.
The crisis has been brewing for weeks, with US Senator Ted Cruz urging Congress to designate Nigeria as a violator of religious freedom. The country has long faced insecurity from various fronts, including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has targeted both Christians and Muslims.
While Christians are among those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur. The Nigerian government has reiterated its commitment to protecting citizens of all religions, with a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying the country will “continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion.”
The US has a history of designating countries as “countries of particular concern” for alleged human rights abuses, and Nigeria was first placed on the list in 2020. However, the designation was lifted in 2023 in what observers saw as a way to improve ties between the countries.
As tensions between the US and Nigeria continue to escalate, the international community is watching with bated breath. Will Trump’s threats of military action push Nigeria to take action, or will the situation spiral further out of control?