US President Donald Trump has once again ignited global controversy after threatening possible military action in Nigeria, accusing the West African nation’s government of allowing what he called the “mass slaughter” of Christians by Islamist militants. The statement, made on his Truth Social platform on November 2, has drawn sharp responses from both Abuja and international observers, reviving debates about US interventionism and religious violence in Africa.

Trump’s remarks follow months of reports of renewed violence in Nigeria’s northern and central regions, where Islamist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) continue to carry out attacks. Yet the US president’s framing of the crisis-presenting it primarily as a campaign against Christians-has been criticized by Nigerian officials and analysts who argue that the violence is more complex than a simple religious war.

In a characteristically blunt post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “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!” He accused the Nigerian government of “standing by” as Christian communities are “butchered,” warning that the United States “may very well go into that now disgraced country, guns-a-blazing.”

Trump’s comments came shortly after he designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act-an official US label applied to nations accused of tolerating or committing severe violations of religious freedom. While such designations are typically followed by diplomatic measures or sanctions, Trump’s reference to direct military intervention marks an unprecedented escalation in rhetoric.

Within hours of Trump’s post, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

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