A diplomatic storm is brewing between Washington and Abuja after U.S. President Donald Trump and his ally Pete Hegseth issued threats of potential military intervention in Nigeria, citing alleged attacks on Christians.
The controversy erupted late Saturday when Hegseth, a conservative commentator and former U.S. Army officer, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the newly renamed U.S. Department of War was “preparing for action” in response to reports of violence against Christian communities in Nigeria.
“Either the Nigerian government protects Christians, or we will eliminate the Islamic terrorists who are committing these atrocities,” Hegseth wrote, echoing Trump’s earlier warning.
Trump had hours earlier declared that Washington would suspend all assistance to Nigeria if the government “continues to allow the killing of Christians,” claiming that the U.S. was ready to “go in guns blazing.”
He did not name specific perpetrators or present evidence of state complicity, but insisted that he had instructed U.S. agencies to “prepare for possible action.”
The remarks from President Trump have sparked widespread debate over the legitimacy and potential consequences of his threats, with analysts warning that such rhetoric risks inflaming sectarian and diplomatic tensions.
