Genocide: Panic, mixed reactions trail Trump’s threat of military action in Nigeria

The diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United States of America has worsened after President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to take military action if nothing is done about the alleged Christian genocide in Africa’s most populous country.

President Trump, in a statement on his official Truth Social platform, placed the US Defence Department on alert to prepare for war.

Trump further threatened to stop all US-backed aid to Nigeria if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration did not end the alleged massive killing of Christians.

“If the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. 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.

“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,” he wrote in the now viral statement on the Truth Social platform.

We’re preparing for action, we’ll kill Islamic terrorists in Nigeria – Peter Hegseth

Reacting to Trump’s statement, US Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth said the Department of War is preparing for action.

According to him, the US will wipe out “the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities in Nigeria”.

He wrote, ‘The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately.’ 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.”

The Nigerian government has not responded to the fresh threat by President Trump.

Recall that President Trump on Friday designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged Christian genocide.

The US government’s decision was swiftly rejected by the Nigerian government and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in separate statements.

President Tinubu, in his official response, said the country “stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.”

Earlier, the Nigerian government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement on Saturday, said the claim by the president does not “reflect the situation on ground”.

The deepened diplomatic row between Nigeria and the US has attracted a flurry of reactions among Nigerians in the last 24 hours.

Ndume urges Nigerian govt to engage the US

A former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has urged the Federal Government to seek the assistance of seasoned diplomats to engage with the United States government and prevent an escalation of the ongoing diplomatic tensions.

It’s about the 2027 election – Gumi

Controversial Islamic scholar Ahmad Gumi alleged that the claim of Christian genocide in the country was politically motivated, stating that “all the bluff is about the 2027” general election.

They’ve finally landed us in a mess – Ahmed

Former presidential media aide, Bashir Ahmad says those who campaigned for the designation of Nigeria as Country of Particular Concerns have landed the country in a mess.