The United States Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, has said that the U.S. is preparing for possible military action in Nigeria.
This follows a directive from former President Donald Trump, who accused the Nigerian government of allowing the killing of Christians.
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On Saturday, Hegseth wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that his department was getting ready to act after Trump warned that America could intervene in what he called “anti-Christian violence” in Nigeria.
“The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must stop now,” Hegseth said. “We are preparing for action. Either the Nigerian government protects Christians, or we will go after the terrorists responsible for these attacks.”
Trump had earlier threatened that the U.S. might “go into” Nigeria if the government fails to stop the attacks.
“If Nigeria continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S. will stop all aid to the country,” Trump wrote. “We may go in with full force to destroy the terrorists who are behind these horrible killings.”
He also said he had ordered the Department of War to prepare for possible action, promising that any attack would be “fast and strong.”
Trump announced that Nigeria would be placed on the U.S. list of “Countries of Particular Concern,” which includes nations accused of religious persecution.
He blamed radical Islamist groups for what he described as the “mass killing” of Christians in Nigeria.
Reacting to Trump’s comments, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu rejected the claims, saying Nigeria is a democratic country that respects freedom of religion and belief.
So far, the Nigerian government has not officially responded to the threat of U.S. military action.