U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that America could take military action in Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians has raised concerns and triggered debate about America’s authority to act unilaterally in Nigeria.
Trump’s comments, posted on Truth Social, accuse the Nigerian government of failing to stop what he described as the mass slaughter of Christians, also saying some Islamic extremists have carried it out.
Trump’s Statements and Their Implications
On 31 October 2025, President Trump announced that Nigeria was being designated a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998.
This law allows for sanctions against countries where severe violations of religious freedom have been documented, including Nigeria.
Trump warned that the United States will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria and may very well go in guns blazing if Nigeria fails to act against what he called Islamic terrorists targeting Christians.
The following day, he directed the Department of War, formerly the U.S. Department of Defence, to prepare for possible action.
The message was endorsed by his Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, who responded online in a post on X.
“Yes sir. The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria and anywhere must end immediately. The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities” He said.
How Nigeria responded.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu swiftly dismissed Trump’s claims as an exaggeration that ignores Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom and its ongoing fight against extremism.
“Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of worship, and our security agencies continue to combat all forms of terrorism,” he said in a statement on November 1.
He referenced recent counter-terrorism operations in the northeast, where the military reported the arrest of hundreds of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) members
Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar also met with U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Parrick in Abuja on 2 November to register Nigeria’s concerns formally.
Meanwhile, the United States provides Nigeria with around $800 million annually in development and defence support, making it one of Washington’s largest African aid recipients.
A country under siege
As far back as 2009 Nigeria has been battling overlapping security crises. Boko Haram’s insurgency, which has displaced more than 2.2 million people and caused over 35,000 deaths, according to United Nations estimates.
Aside from the northeast, the Middle Belt, particularly Plateau and Benue States, has become the epicentre of farmer-herder violence in recent times, as reported by the Guardian.
Clashes between largely Christian farming communities and Muslim Fulani herders, worsened by desertification and competition for land, have claimed thousands of lives in the last decade.
Reports from Human Rights Watch indicate that more than 3,000 people died in faith-linked attacks in 2024. Open Doors International, a global Christian watchdog, placed Nigeria sixth on its 2025 World Watch List, citing over 5,000 Christian deaths that year alone.
The legal and political restrictions
Under U.S. law, the 1973 War Powers Resolution requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying armed forces into hostilities and to end such operations after 60 days unless lawmakers approve.
However, successive administrations have bypassed this requirement by invoking the 2001 Authorisation for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which permits strikes against groups linked to al-Qaeda or its affiliates.
For this reason, Trump could apply this rationale to ISWAP, which has ties to global jihadist networks.
Although Nigeria’s sovereignty complicates the issue. Any military action without Abuja’s consent would breach international law and could undermine bilateral relations.
Past interventions such as U.S. operations in Libya (2011), Syria (2017), and Yemen (2024) demonstrate how American presidents have acted unilaterally, but those nations lacked the political stability and partnership status Nigeria enjoys with America.
In the US, reaction to Trump’s threats has been divided. Republican lawmakers have largely defended his stance, citing a moral duty to protect persecuted Christians, while Democrats condemned it as reckless and inflammatory.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has signalled plans to review the administration’s position in the coming days.
A fragile balance
For Nigeria, Trump’s warnings are expected to be taken seriously, considering recent events especially about Iran and the Hamas issues.
Nigeria’s mix of ethnic, religious, and economic conflicts defies simple solutions or foreign interventions.
