United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the Department of War is preparing for possible military action in Nigeria, following reports of alleged attacks on Christians in the country.
Hegseth made the statement in a post on X on Saturday, responding to US President Donald Trump’s earlier warning that Washington might intervene if the Nigerian government failed to protect Christian communities.
“Yes sir. The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately. 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,” Hegseth wrote.
His statement reinforced Trump’s threat issued earlier in the day, where the US president said he had instructed the “Department of War” — a title he recently revived for the Pentagon — to “prepare for possible action” in Nigeria. Trump also declared that all US assistance to Nigeria would be suspended if killings of Christians continued.
In a fiery message on Truth Social, Trump accused “radical Islamists” of carrying out a “mass slaughter” of Christians and warned that the United States “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists.” He did not specify which groups were responsible or cite evidence of the alleged atrocities.
The Nigerian government has yet to issue an official response to the escalating rhetoric. However, President Bola Tinubu earlier rejected Trump’s classification of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” insisting that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy that guarantees freedom of religion and belief.
Trump’s designation, announced on Friday, added Nigeria to the US Department of State’s religious freedom watchlist, citing concerns over alleged persecution of Christians. The move has heightened diplomatic tension between both countries, with the Tinubu administration expected to engage in direct discussions with US officials in the coming days.
What you should know
The remarks by Hegseth and Trump signal an unusual hardline stance by the US administration toward Nigeria, with threats of possible intervention tied to allegations of Christian persecution.
Abuja maintains that extremist attacks in Nigeria target citizens of all faiths, not one religious group.
The situation is drawing global attention as both governments prepare for high-level dialogue to defuse tensions and reaffirm bilateral relations.
