U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he has directed the Defense Department to “prepare for possible action” in Nigeria, accusing the West African nation’s government of failing to stop violence against Christians.
The statement, posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, came a day after he labeled Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” a term the U.S. State Department uses for nations accused of “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and 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,” Trump wrote.
He added that “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action,” warning that “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!”
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Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly responded, rejecting Trump’s statements and defending the country’s record on religious tolerance.
“Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength. Nigeria is a God-fearing country where we respect faith, tolerance, diversity and inclusion, in concurrence with the rules-based international order,” the ministry said in a statement released Saturday morning.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also issued a separate response, emphasizing Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom.
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” Tinubu said. “Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it. Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.”