US President Donald Trump has threatened to immediately halt all American aid and assistance to Nigeria and suggested possible military intervention if the Nigerian government does not stop allowing the “killing of Christians” within its borders.

 

In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president issued a direct warning to the West African nation.

 

"If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing,' to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities," the post read.

 

Trump stated he was directing the military to ready itself for the potential action.

 

"I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!" the post continued.

 

Trump concluded with an urgent demand: "WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!"

 

Trump on Friday added Nigeria to the list of "Countries of Particular Concern" (CPC) regarding religious freedom, citing an "existential threat" to Christians in the nation.

 

The decision followed months of pressure from US members of Congress who maintain that Christians face "genocide" in Africa's most populous nation, an accusation that authorities in Abuja have denied.

 

Basis of the Accusations

Nigeria faces severe security challenges. In the northeast, the Boko Haram group's attacks have resulted in more than 40,000 deaths and 2 million displaced people since 2009, according to UN estimates.

 

Activity by Boko Haram and its splinter group, the ISWA, continues, despite a decline in their military strength in recent years.

 

In the country's central region, deadly clashes frequently occur between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and primarily Christian farmers. These conflicts are often characterized as religious but are generally rooted in competition over land resources.

 

In the northwest, criminal gangs terrorize residents by attacking villages, killing and kidnapping people for ransom, and burning homes after looting.

 

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu responded Saturday via the X platform, saying that "describing Nigeria as a religiously intolerant state does not reflect our national reality."

 

He added, "Religious freedom and tolerance have always been at the heart of our collective identity and will remain so."

 

Origin of the Claims

Conservative US politicians are driving the promotion of this narrative, including Republican Rep. Chris Smith, who called in March for Nigeria to be relisted as a CPC.

 

In early October, Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Riley Moore accused the Nigerian government of ignoring a "massacre" against Christians.

 

Their statements have resonated with far-right politicians in Europe, including Polish Member of the European Parliament Dominik Tarczyński.

 

The claims are also promoted by religious organizations, including the non-governmental organization Open Doors, which published a 2023 report stating that "89% of Christians martyred globally are from one country: Nigeria."

 

US politicians often rely on this Dutch organization’s reports to demand sanctions against Nigeria.

 

The American branch of Open Doors split in 2023 and launched World Christian Relief, which also helps disseminate the narrative that Nigeria is the "Christian Martyr Capital of the World."

 

Additionally, Biafran separatists—referring to the Biafra region in southern Nigeria which witnessed a civil war between 1967 and 1970 that killed at least 1 million civilians—have long asserted that Christians are persecuted in Nigeria.

 

The "Biafra Republic Government in Exile," led by Simon Ekpa, hired a Washington lobbying firm run by former Congressman Jim Moran to advocate for its separatist goals and raise awareness about the "persecution of Christians in Nigeria."

 

Data and Consequences

Lad Serwat, an analyst specializing in African affairs at the US firm ACLED, confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the violence perpetrated by these groups in Nigeria is "blind."

 

He deemed the claims by US Congress members of 100,000 Christians killed to be "exaggerated."

 

According to data ACLED sent to AFP, 52,915 civilians have died in targeted political killings since 2009, a figure that includes both Muslims and Christians.

 

The data indicates at least 389 incidents of violence targeting Christians occurred between 2020 and 2025, resulting in at least 318 deaths. During the same period, 197 attacks targeted Muslims, resulting in at least 418 deaths.

 

The relisting of Nigeria as a CPC could potentially trigger economic sanctions, asset freezes, travel bans, and other measures. Nigeria was previously listed as a CPC in 2020 during Trump's first term but was removed by his successor, Joe Biden, the following year.

 

In July, the US imposed visa restrictions on Nigerians, limiting them to three months, as part of the Trump administration's anti-immigration policy.