By Ayomide Otitoju
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated his threat of a possible military operation in Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians, following an offer from the Nigerian presidency for dialogue to address the issue.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he was considering “a lot of things,” including potential troop deployment or air strikes. “They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen,” he declared.
His remarks followed an explosive post on Truth Social on Saturday, in which he claimed to have asked the Pentagon to draft a plan of attack against Nigeria. Trump warned that if the Nigerian government fails to stop the killings, the U.S. would strike “fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians.”
In response, Nigerian presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala told AFP that Nigeria remains a “U.S. partner in the global fight against terrorism,” emphasizing that any support must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“Nigeria welcomes U.S. assistance to combat terrorism as long as it respects our territorial integrity,” Bwala said. He downplayed Trump’s statements, suggesting they were more rhetorical than literal, aimed at prompting dialogue between the two leaders.
“We know Donald Trump has his own style of communication,” Bwala noted, hinting that the post might be an attempt to “force a sit-down between the two leaders so they can iron out a common front to fight insecurity.”
Bwala also indicated that discussions could soon take place between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Trump, either at the State House in Abuja or the White House.
Trump had earlier claimed that “thousands of Christians are being killed” in Nigeria, blaming “radical Islamists” for the violence. However, Nigerian authorities have denied that Christians are being specifically targeted, insisting that terrorism and banditry affect all communities regardless of faith.
“The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” President Tinubu wrote on social media Saturday.
