US President Donald Trump has ordered the military to prepare for action in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militant groups, accusing the government of failing to protect Christians.
Trump did not specify which incidents he was referring to, but claims of genocide against Nigeria's Christians have been circulating in some right-wing US circles in recent months.
Monitoring groups indicate there is no evidence that Christians are being killed at a higher rate than Muslims, with Nigeria roughly evenly divided between followers of both religions.
Nigeria's presidential advisor indicated that any military action against jihadist groups should be cooperative.
Daniel Bwala stated that Nigeria welcomes US assistance in combating Islamist insurgents but noted that it is a 'sovereign' nation.
He emphasized that the jihadists target people from various religions, calling for a unified response to violence affecting all communities.
President Bola Tinubu has insisted that Nigeria promotes religious tolerance and that the security challenges impact people across faiths.
Trump announced this military directive on social media, suggesting a potential 'guns-a-blazing' intervention unless the Nigerian government takes stronger action. He also threatened to cut all aid to what he described as 'the now disgraced country.'
His provocative rhetoric has raised alarms across Nigeria, leading to calls for the government to bolster its efforts against Islamist extremist groups to avoid foreign military intervention.
While Bwala acknowledged Trump's intention to help with insecurity, he noted that Nigeria does not interpret the threats literally, hoping for an upcoming meeting between Trump and Tinubu to further discuss the situation.
Trump's assertion that he has designated Nigeria as a 'Country of Particular Concern' is due to what he described as an 'existential threat' to its Christian population, claiming 'thousands' have been killed without providing evidence.
In response, Tinubu affirmed his government's commitment to collaborating with the US and the international community to safeguard all faith communities.
Trump's service as president was characterized by avoiding foreign military entanglements, but increased domestic pressure from political factions has shifted focus to the crisis in Nigeria.
