Is the U.S. About to Invade Nigeria? Trump Warns of Military Action

Relations between the United States and Nigeria have sharply deteriorated as President Donald Trump and allies on the U.S. political and religious right accuse Nigerian authorities of failing to prevent the killing of Christians, according to the International Crisis Group. 

The Trump administration has threatened military intervention if Nigeria does not act, prompting strong pushback from Abuja, which emphasizes the country’s territorial integrity.

Tensions escalated on 31 October, when Trump announced that the U.S. State Department was designating Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act, a move that could lead to sanctions or other diplomatic measures. 

The following day, Trump threatened to cut off all aid and ordered the Pentagon to “prepare for possible action” in “that now disgraced country,” adding that the operation would be “fast, vicious and sweet” if Nigeria failed to stop attacks on Christians. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio endorsed the approach, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that “the Department of War is preparing for action: either the Nigerian government protects Christians or we will kill the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” according to the International Crisis Group.

Analysts caution, however, that framing the violence as a “Christian genocide” oversimplifies Nigeria’s complex security situation. Violence in the country stems from multiple factors, including religious extremism, banditry, resource disputes, communal tensions, and separatist movements. 

Amnesty International reported that roughly 10,000 people were killed in the two years following President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration in 2023, though the government disputed the figure.

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project found that between January 2020 and June 2022, violence specifically targeting Christians accounted for only 5% of civilian targeting events. In some regions, such as the South East, most perpetrators and victims are Christians, indicating that religious affiliation is not the primary driver of violence.

Nigerian officials stress that the government still supports religious freedom. President Tinubu, a Muslim, is married to a Christian pastor, and many parts of Nigeria exhibit high interfaith tolerance. Nevertheless, insecurity and weak law enforcement leave communities, including Christians, vulnerable to attack.

Reports from International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) claim tens of thousands of Christians killed or displaced, but BBC analysis has questioned the reliability and transparency of these figures.

The situation highlights the growing international attention on Nigeria’s security challenges and the delicate balance between advocacy for human rights and respecting national sovereignty.