Trump Threatens To Attack Nigeria, Asks Tinubu To Move Fast

U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated a diplomatic storm with Nigeria, threatening possible military action and an immediate halt to U.S. aid if Abuja does not stop what he described as the “killing of Christians” in the country. The explosive warning — posted on Trump’s Truth Social account — comes as President Bola Tinubu angrily rejected Washington’s characterization of Nigeria as intolerant and insisted the country remains committed to protecting citizens of all faiths.

Trump said Christians in Nigeria face an “existential threat” and accused “radical Islamists” of committing a “mass slaughter.” He wrote that he had instructed the Pentagon to map out a plan for a possible military response and that the U.S. “will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria” if the killings continue — even warning the U.S. “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists.”

The U.S. leader went further, saying he would designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under U.S. rules on religious freedom — a label that clears the way for sanctions and restrictions on non-humanitarian assistance — and urged Congress to investigate the reported violence.

Reacting in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu rejected the accusation that Nigeria tolerates religious persecution. In a statement he insisted that “religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” stressing that Nigeria opposes religious persecution and protects citizens of all faiths. Tinubu also said the designation and alarmist rhetoric do not reflect Nigeria’s reality.

The row follows growing pressure from some U.S. lawmakers and rights campaigners who have pointed to repeated attacks on Christian communities in parts of Nigeria — an issue framed by supporters as religious persecution and by critics as one slice of a broader insecurity crisis that affects Christians and Muslims alike. The U.S. move to add Nigeria to a watch list signals a significant shift in Washington’s posture toward Africa’s most populous nation and could carry diplomatic and economic consequences if followed by sanctions or aid suspension.

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