Trump Threatens to Send Armed Troops to Nigeria to Stop the Killing of Christians

SadaNews - US President Donald Trump threatened to send "armed troops" to Nigeria if the largest African country by population fails to stop what he described as "the killing of Christians by Islamists."

Trump stated in a post on his platform "Truth Social" that he has asked the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) to prepare a plan for a potential attack, warning that "Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria."

He claimed that "the Nigerian government is allowing the killing of Christians," warning that the United States "will immediately stop all aid to Nigeria" and that it "might go to this country armed to eliminate the Islamists committing these atrocities."

He added: "I have instructed the War Department to prepare for potential military action. If we launch an attack, it will be swift, fierce, and decisive," he said, warning the Nigerian government that "it would be better for them to act quickly."

US Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, responded in support of Trump through a post saying: "Yes Sir," indicating that the department is "preparing to move," adding that the Nigerian government must "protect Christians or face the elimination of Islamic terrorists."

These remarks from Trump came a day after he said that "thousands of Christians are being killed in Nigeria by extremist Islamists," without providing evidence to support his accusations.

Trump's statements have reignited the rhetoric of conservatives in the United States, with Congressman Chris Smith urging the US Department of State to include Nigeria on the "countries of particular concern" list, while Trump said he considers Nigeria "a country with an existential threat to Christians."

The US State Department lists countries on this list as those that "severely violate religious freedom."

In response, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu denied the accusations, stating that "describing Nigeria as intolerant religiously does not reflect our national reality," adding that "religious freedom and tolerance are fundamental principles of our collective identity and will always remain so."

Nigeria, divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a predominantly Christian south, is experiencing chronic conflicts, including jihadist violence in the northeast led by Boko Haram, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 40,000 people and the displacement of two million since 2009, according to the United Nations.

Experts say that the conflicts in Nigeria have claimed the lives of both Christians and Muslims. In its northwest, armed gangs known as "bandits" carry out bloody attacks on villages including killings and kidnappings.

In the central regions, repeated confrontations occur between mostly Muslim cattle herders and Christian farmers, giving a religious character to the violence, although its root causes are linked to land disputes and population expansion.