Overview
- President Trump said he asked the Pentagon to draw up “plans of attack” and signaled he could order troop deployments or airstrikes to stop what he called record killings of Christians.
- Days earlier, his administration returned Nigeria to the U.S. list of countries of particular concern for religious-freedom violations.
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and adviser Daniel Bwala denied claims of organized persecution, welcoming U.S. help only if Nigeria’s sovereignty is respected and stressing that any operation requires Abuja’s consent.
- Independent reporting and conflict data from AP and ACLED indicate the violence varies by region, affects both Christians and Muslims, and is often tied to insurgency and resource conflicts rather than a targeted anti-Christian campaign.
- No U.S. military action has been taken to date, and analysts caution that the rhetoric risks straining U.S.–Nigeria relations and deepening political divides inside Nigeria.