Trump preps military over Nigerian Christian persecution claims
US President Donald Trump has instructed the American military to prepare for action in Nigeria, claiming that the West African nation’s government has failed to protect its Christian population, as reported by BBC News. The announcement, made in a series of social media posts beginning on the 2nd of November, has stirred diplomatic unease and drawn stern reactions from both Washington and Abuja.
Trump accused Nigerian authorities of allowing what he called a “mass killing” of Christians, describing the situation as an “existential threat” to religious freedom. “They’re killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria,” he wrote. “We’re not going to allow that to happen.” He also warned that US aid to Nigeria could be halted and said military intervention would be “fast, vicious, and sweet” if the Nigerian government failed to act.
Independent analysts and human rights organizations have found no evidence to support President Trump’s assertions that Nigerian Christians are being systematically targeted or subjected to genocide. Data from groups such as the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) show that violence by extremist groups in Nigeria has affected both Christians and Muslims, with Muslims in the north among the primary victims.
Trump’s framing of the violence in Nigeria as a one-sided religious war misrepresents the complex social and economic drivers of conflict in the country. Such as the clashes between herders and farmers in central and northern Nigeria, which are often framed in religious terms, but in reality, are largely driven by competition for land and water rather than faith-based persecution.
Instead of amplifying unfounded claims about Nigeria, the president’s time might be better spent on addressing the documented violations of religious freedoms faced by religious groups across the world. For example, in places such as Israel, where church leaders and human rights groups have documented rising hostility and restrictions against Christian communities, including attacks on clergy and the destruction of religious sites.
The president’s comments follow his decision to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” a formal classification used by the US State Department to sanction nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom. Trump did not provide evidence for his claims but cited “thousands” of alleged killings.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to back Trump’s stance, responding publicly that the Department of War, was “preparing for action.”
The CEO of Blackwater, Erik Prince, responded to Trump’s deranged thread of posts on X, stating that he and his mercenaries are “Standing by to assist”. Blackwater is an American private military contractor. Erik stated back in February 2024 that certain African countries should be recolonised, “It is time for us to just put the imperial hat back on to say we are going to govern those countries if you are incapable of governing yourself because enough is enough”.
As the Wests influence in sub-Saharan Africa wavers, following multiple coups since 2020 that ousted pro-western governments, Trump and other countries that constitute the western hegemony, such as France, are scrambling to reassert themselves in the region under the pretext of a war on terrorism.
So far, the vacuum that existed in the region’s security landscape, following the removal of French military assets across the Sahel and western Africa, has been filled by Russia, either through the Wagner group, or the state backed Russian Africa corps who have slowly replaced the former as Putin seeks to tighten the Russian states control across Africa.
This begs the question of why is Trump is so concerned with the violence in Nigeria. Does he really care about religious persecution? Or is this simply political posturing to reassert America’s position as the global policeman.
In Nigeria, Trumps remarks triggered widespread anxiety. Social media users called on the government to strengthen its counterinsurgency operations against groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) to prevent foreign military involvement.
Presidential advisor Daniel Bwala told the BBC that Nigeria would welcome assistance from the US in combating Islamist insurgents, provided it respected Nigeria’s sovereignty. “We are a sovereign nation,” he said.
President Tinubu responded by defending Nigeria’s record on religious tolerance, saying that violence in the country affects citizens “across faiths and regions.” He rejected the idea that Christians were being systematically targeted. “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” Tinubu said in an official statement.
AFP, BBC News, BusinessDay, Maghrebi.org
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