Overview
- President Trump said there could be U.S. boots on the ground or airstrikes in Nigeria after directing the Pentagon to prepare for possible action.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly endorsed the directive, saying the Department of War was preparing for action.
- Trump threatened to halt U.S. aid and re-listed Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, citing alleged large-scale killings of Christians without providing evidence.
- Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected portrayals of the country as religiously intolerant and said assistance would be welcomed only with respect for territorial integrity.
- A senior Nigerian aide signaled the rhetoric may be intended to force high-level talks, while analysts warned unilateral U.S. intervention could prove counterproductive and ignore the conflict’s complex drivers.