United States President Donald Trump has again hinted at possible military action in Nigeria over what he described as the killing of Christians, despite assurances from the Nigerian government that it is open to dialogue.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump told an AFP reporter he was considering several options, including deploying U.S. troops or conducting air strikes.
“Could be, I mean, a lot of things. I envisage a lot of things,” Trump said. “They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen.”
His remarks followed a Truth Social post on Saturday, where he claimed to have directed the Pentagon to prepare a plan of attack on Nigeria. He warned that if Nigeria failed to stop the killings, a U.S. response would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is almost evenly divided between a Muslim-majority north and a largely Christian south. Experts say the country’s conflicts have affected both Christians and Muslims without distinction.
Reacting to Trump’s comments, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s spokesman, Daniel Bwala, said Nigeria remains a key U.S. partner in the fight against terrorism.
“Nigeria welcomes U.S. support to fight terrorism as long as it respects our territorial integrity,” Bwala told AFP from Washington. “We know Donald Trump has his own style of communication.”
He added that Trump’s statement may be a push for direct talks between both leaders.
“As for the differences on whether terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians or all faiths, such matters will be discussed and resolved by the two leaders when they meet in the coming days,” he said.
Trump’s claims, made without evidence, accused “Radical Islamists” of being responsible for mass killings of Christians.
The Nigerian government, however, maintains that religious intolerance does not define its security crisis.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” President Tinubu said on social media Saturday.
Diplomatic sources say discreet discussions are already ongoing to ease tensions sparked by Trump’s remarks.
About Author
