Trump Warns US May Launch Air Strikes and Ground Operations in Nigeria

United States President, Donald Trump, late Sunday renewed his warning of a possible military operation in Nigeria over the killings of Christians.

When asked by reporters aboard Air Force One if he was considering deploying US troops or carrying out air strikes in Nigeria, Trump said: “Could be, I mean, a lot of things — I envisage a lot of things.”

“They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen,” he added.

Trump had earlier made an explosive post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, revealing that he had instructed the Pentagon to draft a potential plan of attack in Nigeria.

The post came a day after he warned that Christianity was “facing an existential threat” in Africa’s most populous country.

In his post, Trump said that if Nigeria fails to stop the killings, the United States will attack and “it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians.”

Reacting to Trump’s statement, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, told AFP on Sunday that “Nigeria is the US’s partner in the global fight against terrorism. When leaders meet there would be better outcomes.”

“Nigeria welcomes US support to fight terrorism as long as it respects our territorial integrity,” he said.

“We do not see the (Trump’s social media post) in the literal sense,” he added.

“We know that Donald Trump has his own style of communication,” he said, suggesting the post was a way to “force a sit-down between the two leaders so they can iron out a common front to fight their insecurity.”

Bwala had earlier hinted in a post on X that a meeting between the two leaders could take place 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.”