US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has confirmed that the US War Department is preparing for possible military action in Nigeria, following President Donald Trump’s directive on alleged widespread killings of Christians in the country.
Reacting to Trump’s directive on possible US military action in Nigeria, Hegseth issued a stern warning to X, declaring that Washington would strike if the Nigerian government failed to stop the continued killings of Christians.
He wrote: “The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria – and anywhere – must end immediately. The War Department is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian government protects Christians or we will kill the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
His comment came shortly after President Trump, in a post on his Truth Social account on Saturday, ordered the US War Department to prepare for a possible attack in Nigeria.
The president accused the Nigerian government of turning a blind eye to what he described as the “genocide of Christians” across the country.
Trump warned that the United States would immediately suspend all aid and assistance to Nigeria if attacks on Christians continue.
He also indicated that the United States could intervene militarily to eliminate what he called “Islamic terrorists” responsible for the murders.
“If the Nigerian government continues to allow the slaughter of Christians, the United States will immediately suspend all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go to that now-disgraced country, ‘with guns,’ to completely eliminate the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump wrote.
He further stated: “I hereby instruct our War Department to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be quick, cruel and sweet, just like terrorist thugs attack our beloved Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!”
Online tribune reports that Trump has designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” claiming that Christianity in the country faces an existential threat.
He claimed that thousands of Christians have been killed by radical Islamist groups and called for an immediate congressional investigation into the crisis.
Trump reiterated that the United States will not remain silent as Christians in Nigeria and other parts of the world face persecution, insisting that the United States stands ready to defend Christian populations around the world.
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