Trump orders Pentagon to prepare for military operation in Nigeria

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to prepare for a possible military operation in Nigeria, a Muslim-majority African nation. Following Trump’s directive on Saturday, the US Defence Secretary said Washington is ready to take “appropriate action” if the Nigerian government fails to protect its Christian population.

Nigeria, a West African country, is home to more than 250 ethnic groups. Nearly half of its population are Muslims—mainly living in the northern region—while about 40 percent are Christians, mostly in the south. For years, violence by the extremist group Boko Haram in the northeast, along with clashes between Muslim and Christian farming communities, has worsened the situation.

Since returning to power for his second term, Trump has focused on consolidating support from conservative Christians. In February, he formed a special taskforce to eliminate “anti-Christian bias”. Recently, tensions have also grown between Washington and South Africa, as Trump described the killing of a white African farmer as “genocide”.

On Friday, Trump designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” and claimed that “radical Muslim groups” were responsible for the killing of Christians there. Later, in a post on Truth Social, he announced that he had instructed the Pentagon to be ready to launch a military operation against Nigeria.

Following his statement, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X that violence against Christians in Nigeria “must stop” and that Trump’s newly formed Department of War is prepared to act.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has said it will continue to combat violent extremism and maintain its alliance with Washington. However, the United States has maintained a firm stance on the issue.