United States (US) Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said the Department of War is preparing for possible military action in Nigeria, following reports of attacks on Christians across the country.
Hegseth made the statement on Saturday in a post on X (formerly Twitter), responding to an earlier threat by President Donald Trump, who vowed to intervene militarily if the Nigerian government failed to curb what he called the "mass killing of Christians."
"Yes sir. The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria, and anywhere, must end immediately. The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities," he wrote.
The Defence Secretary’s post came shortly after Trump’s explosive comments on his Truth Social platform, where the US President ordered the Department of War to "prepare for possible action" against what he described as "Islamic terrorists" in Nigeria.
Trump warned that the United States could "cut off all assistance" to Nigeria if the Tinubu administration failed to address the alleged persecution of Christians, adding that Washington might "go in guns-a-blazing" to stop the violence.
"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. WARNING: The Nigerian Government better move fast!," he said.
On Friday, Trump announced that Nigeria would be placed on the US State Department’s list of "Countries of Particular Concern," a designation reserved for nations accused of tolerating or engaging in severe violations of religious freedom.
He blamed "radical Islamists" for what he called the "mass slaughter of Christians" in Nigeria, a claim the Nigerian government has consistently rejected, insisting that the country remains committed to protecting freedom of religion and belief.
President Bola Tinubu, reacting earlier to Trump’s classification, maintained that Nigeria "remains a democracy anchored on constitutional guarantees of religious freedom," and called on the US to avoid sweeping generalisations that could inflame tensions.
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