US President Donald Trump on Sunday restated his warning of potential military intervention in Nigeria following reports of Christian killings, despite the Nigerian presidency suggesting diplomatic talks to address the situation.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump hinted that military action could take several forms. “Could be, I mean, a lot of things—I envisage a lot of things,” he said. “They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen.”
His comments came a day after an intense post on his Truth Social platform, where he said he had instructed the Pentagon to develop a possible attack plan for Nigeria. The post followed his earlier statement that Christianity was “facing an existential threat” in Africa’s most populous country.
Trump declared that if Nigeria fails to stop the killings, the United States would strike. “It will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians,” he wrote.
Responding to Trump’s statements, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s spokesperson, Daniel Bwala, told AFP that Nigeria values its partnership with the United States in combating terrorism but emphasized the need for mutual respect.
“Nigeria is US’s partner in the global fight against terrorism. When leaders meet there would be better outcomes,” Bwala said. “Nigeria welcomes US support to fight terrorism as long as it respects our territorial integrity.”
Bwala also noted that Trump’s rhetoric should not be taken at face value. “We do not see the (Trump’s social media post) in the literal sense. We know that Donald Trump has his own style of communication,” he explained, adding that the remarks may be intended to “force a sit-down between the two leaders so they can iron out a common front to fight their insecurity.”
Earlier, Bwala hinted on X that both leaders might meet soon. “As for the differences as to whether terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians or in fact all faiths and no faiths, the differences if they exist, would be discussed and resolved by the two leaders when they meet in the coming days, either in State House or White House,” he said.
Speaking from Washington, Bwala declined to confirm the specifics of any planned meeting.
On Friday, Trump had claimed that “thousands of Christians are being killed (and) Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.”
However, Nigerian authorities have consistently denied that Christians are being targeted more than followers of other faiths. “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” President Tinubu stated on social media Saturday.
What you should know
Donald Trump reiterated his threat of US military action in Nigeria over alleged Christian killings, while the Nigerian government urged diplomacy.
Presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala said Tinubu remains open to dialogue with Trump, reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to fighting terrorism and maintaining its territorial integrity.
