The United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, says his department is preparing for possible military action in Nigeria.
Mr Hegseth said in statement on Saturday “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.”
He warned that, “the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately.”
This was in response to US President Donald Trump’s threat to carry out military action if the killings and persecution of Christians was not addressed by the Nigerian government.
President Trump had in a post on Truth Social, accused the Nigerian government of “turning a blind eye” to persistent attacks on Christians.
In the post, Trump warned that the United States would withdraw all forms of aid and could launch a military operation against terrorist groups in Nigeria.
“If the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and 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,” Trump wrote.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action.
If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet — just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians. Warning: the Nigerian government better move fast!”
Responding on X (formerly Twitter), Hegseth reaffirmed the US president’s stance, saying the Department of War had begun preparations.
“Yes sir. The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately,” Hegseth wrote.
The development comes a day after President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged religious persecution, citing what he called a “mass slaughter” of Christians by radical Islamist groups.
