Nigeria Under Fire: Trump Details U.S. Strategy Against Alleged Christian Genocide
United States President Donald Trump has said the American military could deploy ground troops or launch air strikes in Nigeria to halt what he described as the widespread killing of Christians in the West African nation.
According to Reuters, Trump disclosed this to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, while returning to Washington after spending the weekend at his Florida vacation home.
When asked whether he was considering deploying ground troops or conducting airstrikes in Nigeria, Trump responded, “Could be”.
“I mean, other things. I envisage a lot of things. They’re killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria … They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen,” he said.
The ICIR reported that on Saturday, November 2, that Trump warned he would consider military action against Nigeria if the country failed to curb alleged killings of Christians, just a day after his administration placed Nigeria on the “Countries of Particular Concern” list for violating religious freedoms.
Other nations on the list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government prompted refuted claim of Christian genocide by the US.
President Bola Tinubu said Nigeria stood firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty and continued to maintain open engagement with both Christian and Muslim leaders across the country.
He argued that the portrayal of Nigeria as religiously intolerant did not reflect the reality in the country, adding that the government’s efforts to safeguard freedom of belief for all Nigerians remained consistent and sincere.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also dismissed the claims, stating that while it appreciated global concern for human rights and religious freedom, the allegations were inaccurate and misrepresented the country’s realities.
The ministry insisted that under Tinubu’s leadership, the country remained committed to fighting terrorism, strengthening interfaith harmony, and protecting the lives and rights of all its people.
Recall that the conversation started last month, when US lawmaker Riley Moore had urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take diplomatic action over what he described as the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians” in Nigeria, calling it “the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian.”
He also advocated suspending arms sales to Nigeria until measurable progress was made in curbing violence.