U.S President Donald Trump
By DAVID IORJA, Abuja –
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Nigeria, threatening possible military intervention if what he calls the “killing of Christians” in the country is not halted.
In a fiery post on his Truth Social account on Saturday, Trump said he would not hesitate to send American forces “guns-a-blazing” should the Nigerian government fail to protect Christians from attacks he attributed to Islamist extremists.
> “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.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet.”
The post came just a day after Trump’s administration formally designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing what he described as a “mass slaughter” of Christians.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump stated.
He added that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening,” and said he had directed Congressman Riley Moore and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole to investigate the matter further.
*Tinubu Responds: ‘Nigeria Protects All Faiths’*
Reacting to Trump’s remarks, President Bola Tinubu rejected the allegations of religious persecution, insisting Nigeria remains a nation built on freedom of faith and tolerance.
In a statement personally signed on Saturday, Tinubu said,
> “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it recognise government efforts to safeguard freedom of religion and belief.
Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.”
The Nigerian president noted that since taking office in 2023, his administration has consistently engaged with both Christian and Muslim leaders to address nationwide security challenges.
> “Since 2023, our administration has maintained active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders and continues to address security challenges affecting citizens across faiths.
Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.”
Tinubu reaffirmed that Nigeria is committed to upholding constitutional protections for all religions and expressed readiness to cooperate with Washington and other international partners in promoting peace and protecting faith communities.
> “Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths. Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen cooperation on protecting communities of all faiths,” he concluded.
