Trump does not rule out US military invasion or airstrikes on Nigeria
Photo: Donald Trump, President of the United States (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump has confirmed the possibility of military intervention in Nigeria over what he described as the alleged persecution of Christians, a claim he made earlier. He did not rule out either a ground invasion or airstrikes, according to a White House broadcast.
US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he is considering military intervention in Nigeria, citing what he described as the mass killing of Christians in the country. Speaking to reporters, he said that both a ground operation and airstrikes remain possible.
When asked by a journalist whether the United States might carry out a ground operation or airstrikes against Nigeria over the situation with Christians, Trump replied:
"Could be. I mean, a lot of things I envisage a lot of things," he said.
Trump added that Christians were being killed "in very large numbers" in Nigeria and vowed that the US would not allow it to continue.
"They're killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria, and they have other countries very bad also. You know that part of the world is very bad. They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We're not going to allow that to happen," the American leader said.
Trump's threats to Nigeria
On November 1, Trump said he was considering a possible military operation in Nigeria over the alleged persecution of Christians by Islamist militants. He accused the Nigerian government of failing to act to stop the violence and claimed that 3,100 Christians had been killed in the country, urging immediate action.
Trump’s remarks followed statements from Republican senator Ted Cruz and several American public figures who spoke of what they called the "persecution" or even "genocide" of Christians in Nigeria.
Nigeria's response
In response, Nigerian authorities rejected Trump’s threats, saying that Washington cannot intervene in a sovereign state not responsible for such crimes. Officials in Abuja said Trump’s accusations were based on outdated reports.
Joseph Hayab, former head of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna state, also dismissed claims of organized persecution. However, as a pastor in one of the conflict’s epicenters, he acknowledged that the government should do more to protect villages affected by violence.
According to the European Parliament, Christians in Nigeria face one of the world’s most severe waves of persecution. Nearly 17,000 Christians were killed in targeted attacks between 2019 and 2023, and more than 7,000 have died in the first seven months of 2025 alone.
