President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to send US forces into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” if the country does not halt what he described as the killing of Christians by Islamist groups.

“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,” he wrote on Truth Social. “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet.”

The comments followed Mr. Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged killings of Christians, a move he described as a response to “mass slaughter.” “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” he wrote. He added that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening,” and directed Congressman Riley Moore and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole to investigate the matter.

Responding on Saturday, President Bola Tinubu, in a statement he personally signed, dismissed suggestions that Nigeria is hostile towards Christians, and insisted the country remains committed to religious freedom and tolerance. “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it recognise government efforts to safeguard freedom of religion and belief,” he said.

Mr. Tinubu said his administration, since 2023, “has maintained active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders and continues to address security challenges affecting citizens across faiths. Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths. Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen cooperation on protecting communities of all faiths.”

US ‘preparing for action’ — Defence secretary

United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the department was preparing for action in Nigeria following reports of attacks on Christians.

“Yes sir. 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,” he wrote on X, in response to Mr. Trump’s earlier post.

Mr. Trump had threatened to cut off all assistance to Nigeria “if the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians” and said the US “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.” He did not specify which groups he was referring to, or identify particular incidents.

On Friday, the US President announced that Nigeria would be added to the Department of State’s list of “Countries of Particular Concern”, which monitors religious persecution. He blamed “radical Islamists” for what he called a “mass slaughter” of Christians in the country.

President Tinubu rejected that characterisation, reiterating that Nigeria is a democracy anchored on constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and belief.

Tinubu to meet Trump over allegations — presidential adviser

President Tinubu is expected to meet his United States counterpart, Mr. Trump, to discuss the recent allegations of a Christian genocide in Nigeria.

Mr. Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, said on X that the meeting would take place “in the coming days.” He emphasised the leaders’ shared commitment to combating insurgency and terrorism, and noted that Mr. Trump had assisted Nigeria by authorising arms sales, which the government had used in the fight against terrorism with “massive results to show.”

“President Trump has assisted Nigeria a lot by authorising the sale of arms to Nigeria, and President Tinubu has adequately utilised the opportunity in the fight against terrorism, for which we have massive results to show,” Mr. Bwala said. He added that any differences in perception about whether terrorists in Nigeria target solely Christians, or people of all faiths, would be discussed and resolved when the two leaders meet, either at the State House in Abuja or at the White House in Washington.

The announcement came a day after Mr. Trump threatened military action should the Nigerian Government fail to halt alleged anti-Christian violence. In his social media post on Saturday, Mr. Trump warned the Nigerian Government to “move fast,” and repeated that any US attack “will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!”

Mr. Tinubu has reiterated his commitment to cooperate with the United States and the international community to protect communities of all faiths.