US President Donald Trump said that he has ordered the Defense Department to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria as he continues to accuse the nation of not doing enough to stem violence against Christians.
In a social media post criticizing what he called the “mass slaughter” of Christians in the country, an accusation Nigeria has repeatedly denied, Trump wrote the United States would “immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria” and warned the government there to “move fast.”
According to CNN, in the lengthy message, Trump said the US “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.”
Both Christians and Muslims have been victims of attacks by radical Islamists in the country of more than 230 million people. The violence in the country is driven by varying factors: some incidents are religiously motivated and affect both groups, while others arise from disputes between farmers and herders over limited resources, as well as communal and ethnic tensions.
Although Christians are among those targeted, local reports indicate that most victims are Muslims living in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action,” Trump wrote. “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!”
“Yes sir,” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted on social media with a screenshot of Trump’s comments.
Trump’s announcement comes after he accused Nigeria of religious freedom violations on Friday, claiming that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” and designating the nation as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act.
