U.S. Defense Secretary Confirms Military Readiness Over Reported Attacks on Christians in Nigeria

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that the Department of War is preparing for potential military action in Nigeria, following reports of attacks on Christians and after President Donald Trump threatened intervention.

Hegseth made the declaration on Saturday in a post on X (formerly Twitter), responding to President Trump’s earlier comments that the United States might take direct action over alleged persecution of Christians in Africa’s most populous country.

“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,” Hegseth wrote.

His statement followed Trump’s warning that the U.S. could take “fast, vicious, and sweet” military action if Nigeria fails to stop attacks against Christians.

Trump Threatens Swift Response

Earlier on Saturday, Trump accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christian communities, announcing that he had directed the Department of War to “prepare for possible action.”

“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, we will cut off all assistance immediately,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

“We 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,” he added, without naming specific groups or incidents.

The former U.S. President’s statement marked one of the strongest threats of military action against an African nation in recent years.

Nigeria Responds to U.S. Threats

The Nigerian government has yet to officially respond to Hegseth’s latest remarks, though President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier dismissed Trump’s description of Nigeria as a country hostile to Christians.

“Nigeria remains a democracy anchored on constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and belief,” Tinubu said in a post on Saturday, rejecting what he called a mischaracterization of the nation’s internal security challenges.

He insisted that Nigeria’s security operations target violent extremists of all ideologies, not any religious group.

U.S. Adds Nigeria to Watchlist

On Friday, Trump announced that Nigeria would be added to the Department of State’s list of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) — a designation reserved for nations accused of allowing or participating in severe religious persecution.

The move places Nigeria under increased diplomatic scrutiny and could trigger sanctions or the suspension of bilateral assistance.

Background

Nigeria has faced years of violence from extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), whose attacks have targeted both Muslim and Christian communities.

However, U.S. and international observers remain divided on whether the violence constitutes religious persecution or broader insecurity driven by terrorism, banditry, and resource competition.

While Washington’s rhetoric under Trump has heightened global attention on Nigeria’s security crisis, diplomatic analysts warn that direct U.S. military action would mark a significant escalation in relations between both nations.

As of Sunday, neither the Pentagon nor the White House had provided further clarification on whether operational plans were underway.