The United States has disclosed that it is “preparing for action” in Nigeria following reports of attacks on civilians in the country, particularly members of Christian communities.
U.S. President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post on Saturday, ordered the Department of War to ready itself for “possible action”.
Trump noted that “If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!”
He also warned that the U.S. would halt all aid to Nigeria and could deploy forces “guns-a-blazing” unless the Nigerian government acts swiftly to stop the violence.
“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, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!”
Reacting to Trump’s post, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X on Sunday that the department is “preparing for action” to protect Christian civilians in Nigeria.
Hegseth said either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or the US will kill the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.
He stated, “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.”
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. pic.twitter.com/C0v9RHGoS1
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) November 1, 2025
The announcement follows Trump’s recent designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998.
Trump wrote, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. 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.”
He added that “When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me.
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world!”
Nigeria now joins the list of nations previously placed under the designation, including Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
The development follows a series of violent attacks in parts of central Nigeria. Earlier this month, AFP reported that gunmen killed at least 14 people in two separate attacks in Plateau State, where clashes between herders and farmers, often divided along religious lines, remain common. Over 100 people were reportedly killed in similar attacks earlier this year.
“Land-use clashes between nomadic cattle herders, often members of the Muslim Fulani ethnic group, and farmers who are mainly Christian are common in central Nigeria,” the AFP report reads.
“The tensions escalated earlier this year after back-to-back massacres in Plateau State that saw more than 100 people killed, with state authorities claiming the killings were part of a ‘genocide’ that was ‘sponsored by terrorists’.”
However, the Federal Government has repeatedly dismissed Christian persecution allegations by some foreign officials, especially from the United States, and claims that Nigeria discriminates against any faith group.
The federal government, however, insists that the country remains a tolerant nation that guarantees freedom of religion for all citizens.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the claims, particularly by some United States officials, as misleading and not reflective of Nigeria’s security realities while speaking on CNN on Tuesday night.
According to the minister, some of the claims made by officials of the United States are based on faulty data and assumptions that the victims of the violence are largely Christians.
“Yes, there are Christians being attacked, but these criminals do not just target one religion. They target Christians and also target Muslims. We have seen that especially in the northern part of the country,” Idris clarified.
The minister warned that such narratives could inflame religious tensions, stressing that the government was committed to ensuring harmony and security for all Nigerians.
“Those promoting such claims are unwittingly playing into the hands of criminals whose ultimate objective is to incite conflict between Christians and Muslims,” he said.
