WASHINGTON, USA — President Donald Trump has warned that the United States may deploy air strikes or put troops on the ground in Nigeria as part of what he described as a mission to “completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists killing Christians in Nigeria.”
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One on Sunday, November 2, 2025, Trump said Washington could no longer “look the other way” as Christian communities come under attack in parts of the West African nation.
He accused Nigeria of failing to curb violence targeting Christians, describing the situation as “record numbers” being killed.
Asked if he envisioned direct military engagement, including “boots on the ground or air strikes”, Trump said, “yes, there could be.”
He added, “They are killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria. It’s also bad in other countries, you know that. They are killing Christians in very large numbers. We are not going to allow that to happen.”
The remarks mark Trump’s most direct threat yet of US intervention in Nigeria’s internal security crisis and follow his decision to label Nigeria a “country of particular concern (CPC)” over alleged religious persecution.
Trump warned the Nigerian government to “better move fast” or risk losing US aid and facing what he called a swift military response.
“I will unleash the department of war… fast, vicious and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs that attack our cherished Christians,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu and senior officials in his administration have repeatedly dismissed allegations of systematic religious persecution, arguing that insecurity in the country affects citizens of all faiths.
In a statement on Saturday, November 1, 2025, Tinubu said: “Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions.”
He added that the “characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.”
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it,” Tinubu said.
