U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military could deploy troops to Nigeria or carry out airstrikes to stop what he called the killing of large numbers of Christians in the West African country.
Asked if he envisioned troops on the ground or airstrikes in Nigeria, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: “Could be. I mean, other things. I envision a lot of things. They’re killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria ... They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen.”
Trump made the comments Sunday evening as he returned to Washington after a weekend at his vacation home in Florida.
The president first raised the prospect of military action on Saturday, warning that the U.S. might intervene if Africa’s most populous country failed to crack down on the killing of Christians.
The threat came a day after his administration restored Nigeria to the “Countries of Particular Concern” list — a designation reserved for nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom. Other nations on the list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan.
‘A global response is needed’
Ayo Adedoyin, CEO of PSJ UK, which works to promote peace and justice in Nigeria, said he welcomed the renewed international attention on the issue but called for a collective approach.
“I’ve certainly welcomed the focus on this, because I fully agree that this has been going on for far too long and has not gathered enough attention,” Adedoyin said. “But really, this does require a global solution.”
He said the situation is complex and cannot be addressed by one nation alone.
“When ISIS and its affiliates were running amok in the Middle East, there was a global coalition that rose up to address that — and that’s very much what is required now,” he added.
Adedoyin also criticized the Nigerian government’s insistence that the violence is not specifically targeted at Christians.
“That response from the government of Nigeria is a problem in itself,” he said. “The government’s first responsibility is to protect people of all faiths or no faith at all. There definitely seem to be very targeted attacks on Christian communities.”
He said that while poverty, marginalization, and poor governance all feed into the crisis, the targeted nature of attacks on Christian communities cannot be ignored.
“A lot of young people are being sucked up into groups because the government of Nigeria is not taking enough measures to ensure they’re not feeding into Boko Haram,” he said. “When U.S. aid feeding into the northeast and northwest of Nigeria reduced, a whole bunch more young people suddenly went hungry and angry — and they become easy to be picked up by extremist Islamist groups.”
Support from faith advocacy groups
Meanwhile, the Orthodox Public Affairs Committee (OPAC), which advocates on behalf of the Orthodox Church, has commended the Trump administration for its commitment to confronting the ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
George Gigicos, co-founder and chairman of OPAC, said he’s glad the group’s longstanding appeals for action on persecution in Nigeria are finally being heard.
“We are deeply grateful that the Trump administration has recognized the gravity of this crisis and has rightfully restored Nigeria to the Countries of Particular Concern list,” he said. “We continue to question why it was ever removed, as the evidence of persecution has been overwhelming. This designation is a crucial acknowledgment of the reality on the ground and a necessary step toward meaningful and sustained action.”
Religious freedom watchdog Open Doors also welcomed the move to put Nigeria back on the CPC list. A spokesperson said: “For too long, the specific targeting of Christian communities has continued with impunity. The move by the Trump administration might not be the immediate fix for the complex root causes of the problem. However, it is an acknowledgment that the problem is large-scale and serious, and an important symbolic recognition of the tremendous suffering of the most vulnerable in parts of Nigeria.”
In his statement, Trump pointed to research by Open Doors World Watch 2025, which said that of the 4,476 Christians killed for their faith worldwide, 3,100 were from Nigeria.
Open Doors said the country also has the highest number of Christians abducted for their faith — 2,830 out of a total of 3,775 worldwide — and the most Christians raped or sexually harassed because of their faith.
Nigeria is ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List, which analyzes the top 50 countries where Christians face the most persecution.
