Overview
- In a social media post, the president said he directed the Defense Department to plan for potential military operations in Nigeria.
- He warned the United States would halt all assistance to Nigeria if the government "continues allowing" killings of Christians.
- The warning followed Washington's designation of Nigeria as a "country of particular concern" for religious freedom, a label that can enable sanctions but does not authorize the use of force.
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and senior aides rejected the characterization, pledging to protect all faiths and offering cooperation on security.
- Reporters and analysts say the casualty figures cited by Trump are unverified and emphasize that violence involves multiple actors such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, with both Christians and Muslims among the victims, raising legal and humanitarian concerns about any intervention.