WASHINGTON, USA — Sara Jacobs, a member of the United States House of Representatives, has criticised President Donald Trump’s threat to deploy American military force in Nigeria, describing the rhetoric as “reckless” and a violation of international law.
Jacobs spoke on Thursday, November 20, 2025, during a congressional hearing in Washington examining allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria — an issue that recently led Trump to redesignate the country as a “country of particular concern” (CPC).
Following the redesignation, Trump declared that the US military would go into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
His comments have drawn global attention and sparked widespread debate about international intervention and Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Jacobs acknowledged Nigeria’s severe insecurity challenges but warned against framing the crisis through a purely religious lens.
“Distorting what’s happening into a solely religious narrative erases the real drivers of violence and makes it harder to implement effective solutions, and it can fuel violence against the very groups the Trump administration claims it wants to protect,” she said.
The congresswoman said Trump’s comments had already heightened tensions.
“That’s why I’m alarmed by President Trump’s rhetoric about this violence and threats to go into Nigeria ‘guns-a-blazing’ and to wipe out terrorists,” Jacobs said.
“We are already receiving reports of increased tensions between Christian and Muslim populations following this rhetoric.”
She stressed that Trump’s threat lacked legal basis.
“President Trump’s threat is reckless, and any unilateral military action in Nigeria would be illegal,” she said.
“Congress has not authorised force in Nigeria to protect Christians, and any action without Nigeria’s consent violates international law.”
Jacobs added that a military-driven intervention would risk worsening the situation.
“A military-led approach would risk more civilian casualties and impunity, which will only fuel violent extremism,” she said.
The congresswoman argued that the United States must rely on diplomacy and institutional reforms rather than threats of force.
“We need to use more tools from our foreign policy toolbox if we’re serious about helping Nigeria protect its citizens,” she said.
“That means we need to leverage diplomacy and engage with Nigeria on how we can help support their response while pushing for important reforms within Nigeria’s institutions.”
She also emphasized the need for programmes that address the root causes of conflict.
“We need to fund programmes to help prevent violence and address conflict drivers,” she said.
The hearing highlighted growing divisions in Washington over how to approach Nigeria’s complex security landscape, which spans religious tensions, land disputes, organised crime, extremist violence and governance challenges.
