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EEUU. President Donald Trump on Nov. 1 threatened military action in Nigeria if the West African country doesn’t do more to halt the 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,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“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!” he continued.
Replying to Trump’s message, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon has begun “preparing for action.”
“Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Hegseth said.
Trump’s threat of military action was made a day after he announced he would designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). Such a designation empowers presidents to cut foreign aid and discourage further financial transactions with subject nations.
On Oct. 31, Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to apply the IRFA designation against Nigeria, citing an attack on a United Church of Christ congregation in the Nigerian community of Kaduna.
“Horrific news out of northern Nigeria. A Pastor was shot and killed and 20 Christians were abducted,” Moore wrote in an X post. “This is the second attack on this same Christian community just this month.”
Responding to Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” the country’s foreign ministry issued a statement on Nov. 1.
“We remain committed in our resolve to tackle the violent extremism that is fueled by special interests who have helped drive such decay and division in countries across the intersecting West African and Sahel regions,” the Nigerian Foreign Ministry said in its statement.
“We mourn all the victims of violent extremism and salute our armed forces as they continue to fight against vicious but cowardly foes. The Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion.”
The Epoch Times
