United States President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Nigeria, instructing the U.S. Department of War to “prepare for possible action” and hinting at a potential military intervention in the West African nation. Trump cited the alleged killing of Christians by armed Islamist extremists as a grave concern necessitating these orders. In an update shared on Saturday, he declared that the U.S. “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing’" and announced an immediate cessation of all aid and assistance to Nigeria if President Bola Tinubu’s administration fails to stop these alleged massacres. Trump emphasized that if an attack were to occur, it would be “fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians,” urging the Nigerian government to “MOVE FAST!”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed that the Department of War had commenced preparations for action, stating that the U.S. would intervene to “wipe out the Islamic Terrorists” should the Nigerian government fail to protect Christians. Hegseth reiterated the administration's stance that “the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately.” The move follows a period where Nigeria has been on the Trump administration's radar, with U.S. authorities monitoring the security situation and reports of alleged gross violations of religious freedom.

A day prior to announcing military preparations, Trump designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” (CPC). This designation is reserved by the U.S. for nations deemed by the U.S. government as engaging in “particularly severe violations of religious freedoms.” Such violations include torture, inhuman/degrading treatment or punishment, prolonged detention without charges, abduction or detention, or flagrant denials of the right to life, liberty, or the security of persons. Other countries on this list include North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and China.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu swiftly dismissed the description of Nigeria as a nation hostile to religious freedom and rejected claims of Christian persecution. He stated, “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” and affirmed that “Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.”

Despite Trump's claims of “thousands of Christians being killed” by “Radical Islamists”—assertions made without provided evidence—experts point out that Nigeria is embroiled in numerous conflicts that have claimed the lives of both Christians and Muslims without distinction. The country is almost evenly divided between a Muslim-majority north and a largely Christian south, and its modern politics are deeply shaped by ethnic, religious, and regional divisions. The northeastern region is particularly affected by a Boko Haram jihadist insurgency, which has resulted in over 40,000 deaths and displaced more than two million people since 2009. In central Nigeria, clashes between majority-Muslim herders and majority-Christian farmers are frequent, often portrayed as inter-religious conflicts but generally stemming from competition over land access and resources.

Conservative politicians in the U.S. have fueled these accusations. In March, US congressman Chris Smith called for Nigeria to be listed as a CPC, a move Trump officially announced. In early October, US Senator Ted Cruz and House Republican Riley Moore further accused the Nigerian government of turning a blind eye to the “mass murder” of Christians. Some US officials have gone as far as to argue that Christians in Nigeria are facing “genocide,” a claim that Abuja vehemently denies.

Internationally, rapper Nicki Minaj reacted to the news with a post on X, expressing deep gratitude for living in a nation where people can freely practice their faith. She stressed that no one should face hostility for their religious beliefs, noting that persecution against Christians in various countries is a global crisis that should not be ignored. Minaj urged people to pray for victims and show mutual respect despite differing beliefs, explicitly thanking “The President & his team for taking this seriously.”