The U.S. president made the threat a day after he said he will designate Nigeria a country of concern under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act.
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.
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 of foreign aid and discourage further financial transactions with subject nations.
Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.V.) urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to apply the IRFA designation against Nigeria on Oct. 31, 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.”
Horrific news out of northern Nigeria. A Pastor was shot and killed and 20 Christians were abducted.
— Rep. Riley M. Moore (@RepRileyMoore) October 31, 2025
This is the second attack on this same Christian community just this month.
Enough is enough. It's time to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, @SecRubio. https://t.co/xbDlNp3Les
Stacy Robinson contributed to this report.
This is a developing report and will be updated with additional details.
By Ryan Morgan
