Trump threatens Nigeria with military action over treatment of Christians: ‘Government better move fast!’
President Donald Trump said he’s instructing the Defense Department to “prepare for possible action” in Nigeria, claiming the nation’s government “continues to allow the killing of Christians.”
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social on Saturday afternoon.
“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,” the president wrote.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action,” he continued. “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!”
On Friday, Trump declared that Nigeria is a “country of particular concern,” a designation the State Department uses for nations determined to have “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry pushed back on Trump’s designation in a statement on Saturday morning.
“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 statement reads.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also pushed back on Trump’s characterization of the nation.
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” he said in a statement. “Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it. Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.”
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
