Overview
- On Air Force One, President Trump said he could consider ground troops or airstrikes in response to alleged mass killings of Christians in Nigeria.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly endorsed preparations, yet multiple Pentagon officials told Reuters they had received no concrete operational orders.
- Nigeria’s president rejected claims of religious intolerance, while a presidential spokesman welcomed U.S. help conditioned on recognition of Nigeria’s territorial integrity and proposed leader-to-leader talks.
- The administration re-listed Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom, and Trump threatened to cut U.S. aid if Abuja fails to act against Islamist militants.
- Casualty figures cited by some NGOs claim thousands of Christian victims this year, but analysts describe broader, multi-causal violence that also kills many Muslims, and no U.S. operation has been launched.