Washington D.C. / Abuja — November 1, 2025 | Dalena Reporters
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he is ordering the U.S. Department of Defense to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria unless the Nigerian government halts what he called the “killing of Christians” in the country. He further declared that U.S. aid and assistance would be immediately suspended if the killings continued.
In a post to his social media account, Trump wrote: “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.
The announcement comes just days after the U.S. designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” under laws governing religious freedom violations. Trump’s statement intensifies diplomatic pressure on Nigeria and signals a significant escalation in U.S. foreign-policy posture.
In Abuja, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu quickly rejected Trump’s characterization. In a public statement, he affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom, declaring: “Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.
U.S. defence officials confirmed they have received direction from the White House to begin internal planning, though no operational decisions have yet been announced. The State Department said it is assessing how this statement aligns with existing alliances and global counter-terrorism strategy.
Nigeria’s security situation is complex: while violence targeting Christians has been documented in regions such as the Middle Belt and north-west, analysts emphasise that Muslims and other groups also suffer from militant attacks, communal violence and herder-farmer conflict. The Nigerian government has repeatedly stated that violence cannot be simplified as purely religious in nature.
The U.S. threat is being watched closely by regional and international partners. Questions now focus on how Nigeria will respond — whether through intensified security operations, diplomatic engagement with the U.S., or domestic reform. The message from Washington could mark a turning point in bilateral relations, and may have wide implications for how religious-freedom and security issues are framed in Africa.