President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dismissed former U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of possible military intervention in Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians, insisting that the country remains committed to religious freedom and tolerance.
Trump, in a fiery post on Truth Social, warned that the United States could take drastic action if the Nigerian government fails to stop the alleged violence against Christians.
“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,” Trump wrote.
He further claimed to have instructed the U.S. Department of War to prepare for potential military action, adding:
“If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!”
Trump accused Nigerian authorities of ignoring what he described as an “existential threat” to Christianity, urging U.S. lawmakers to investigate what he termed a “mass slaughter.”
He also revealed that Nigeria has been designated as a “Country of Particular Concern” a classification reserved for nations accused of violating religious freedom.
Responding, President Tinubu firmly rejected Trump’s claims, stating that Nigeria remains a secular nation where all religions coexist peacefully.
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it,” Tinubu said.
He explained that the country’s security challenges including terrorism, banditry, and farmer-herder conflicts are complex and not driven by religion, stressing that both Christians and Muslims have suffered from violence.
“These challenges affect Nigerians of all faiths, and our administration is committed to addressing them decisively,” the President added.
