ABUJA (Realist English). Nigeria said it would welcome assistance from the United States in combating armed groups — but only if Washington respects its sovereignty — after President Donald Trump threatened to take “fast” military action against the West African country over what he described as the “killing of Christians.”
Trump said in a social media post on Saturday that he had instructed the Department of War to prepare for possible strikes on Nigeria and vowed to immediately cut off U.S. aid if the government in Abuja “continues to allow the killing of Christians.”
In response, Daniel Bwala, spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu, told Reuters on Sunday that Nigeria “would welcome U.S. assistance as long as it recognises our territorial integrity.”
“I am sure that by the time these two leaders meet and sit together, there will be better outcomes in our shared determination to fight terrorism,” Bwala said.
President Tinubu pushed back strongly against Trump’s accusations, calling them a mischaracterisation of Nigeria’s religious reality.
“Since 2023, our administration has maintained open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike,” Tinubu said in a statement. “The description of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality.”
Nigeria, a country of more than 200 million people, is split between a predominantly Muslim north and Christian south. Armed violence linked to Boko Haram and other extremist groups has plagued the northeast for more than 15 years, claiming thousands of lives. Analysts note that while Christians have been targeted, the majority of victims have been Muslims.
Experts reject ‘Christian genocide’ claims
Human rights groups have long urged Nigeria to strengthen security and governance in conflict zones, but regional experts dismissed Trump’s framing as inaccurate and inflammatory.
“All the data reveals there is no Christian genocide in Nigeria,” said Bulama Bukarti, a Nigerian lawyer and analyst on conflict and development. “This is a dangerous far-right narrative that President Trump is amplifying. It’s divisive and will only fuel instability.”
Bukarti said militant groups in Nigeria attack indiscriminately: “They bomb markets, churches, and mosques alike. They do not distinguish between Muslims and Christians.”
Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the U.S. should focus on cooperation, not confrontation.
“This is precisely when Nigeria needs military assistance,” he said. “But invading or overriding the Nigerian government would be counterproductive.”
Analysts warn that Trump’s rhetoric risks straining relations with a key U.S. security partner in West Africa, where both countries share an interest in countering terrorism and preventing regional destabilization.
