Nigeria’s new army chief pledged an intensified campaign against terrorists in the country’s north, days after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of military action if attacks on Christians continued.
Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu told troops in Maiduguri last Friday, “You have been training to defeat the terrorists… This time, you are going to do it differently”. He added that all necessary support and new platforms had been provided “to ensure that you succeed.”
The comments came after Trump threatened on 1st November to end aid and “wipe out the Islamic Terrorists” in Nigeria, a move President Bola Ahmed Tinubu publicly rejected.
Experts cited by Associated Press said Trump mischaracterised the conflict, which affects Christians and Muslims alike.
Nigeria, with a population of 220 million split almost evenly between Christians and Muslims, has faced a decade-long struggle against Boko Haram and other armed groups.
Attacks have varied motivations, including religious targeting, communal clashes, farmer-herder disputes, secessionist violence, and ethnic rivalries. Analysts noted that while Christians have been victims, the majority of casualties have occurred among Muslims in the country’s Muslim-majority north.
Shaibu framed the military push as entering a “critical phase” of the conflict, insisting that success was imperative for protecting all civilians, including the nation’s Christian population.