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| Donald Trump |
He urged the Pentagon to “prepare for possible action” and warned the Nigerian government to “move fast” or face consequences.
— WASHINGTON DC
United States President Donald Trump has branded Nigeria a “disgraced country” amid accusations of an ongoing Christian genocide perpetrated by radical Islamist groups.
The statement, posted on Truth Social on Saturday, comes just one day after Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for severe violations of religious freedom, the first such action since 2020. Trump's words signal not only diplomatic isolation but also a potential U.S. military intervention, threatening to halt all aid and deploy forces “guns-a-blazing” if the violence persists.
“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,” Trump wrote. He urged the Pentagon to “prepare for possible action” and warned the Nigerian government to “move fast” or face consequences.
This marks a dramatic policy pivot, reversing the Biden administration's 2023 decision to remove Nigeria from the CPC list amid efforts to bolster bilateral ties.
Trump's move aligns with pressure from evangelical allies, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who has lobbied for the designation. Cruz's recent legislation aims to hold Nigerian officials accountable for “enabling jihadist attacks”.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation with 220 million people split nearly evenly between Muslims and Christians, has long grappled with sectarian strife. Extremist groups like Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Fulani herders have terrorized the Muslim-majority north since 2011, killing over 37,000 people in total, according to analysts. Churches and Christian villages in the central and northern “Middle Belt” have been frequent targets, with reports of massacres, kidnappings, and forced conversions fueling cries of genocide from advocacy groups like International Christian Concern.
Lobbying efforts by Biafran separatists—representing Christian interests in southeastern Nigeria have amplified the genocide consciousness in Washington, potentially influencing Trump's stance.
Internationally, the CPC designation placing Nigeria alongside North Korea, Iran, and China, stops short of immediate sanctions but paves the way for them, potentially banning non-humanitarian aid worth hundreds of millions annually. Nigeria's economy, already strained by inflation and insecurity, could face further isolation.