United States war department preparing for action in Nigeria — Official

The US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, has indicated the United States is ready to take military action regarding the reported killings of Christians in Nigeria. This echoes a threat made by US President Donald Trump, which caused international worry.

In a post on X on Sunday, the US official stated that the United States Department of War is getting ready to act if Nigeria does not protect Christians.

“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,” Hegseth wrote.

The US Secretary of War's statement follows a post by Mr Trump on his Truth Social platform. In that post, the President warned that the United States would "get ready for possible action" and threatened to stop all aid to Nigeria if the reported violence continued.

He also threatened to cut off all help and assistance to Nigeria if President Bola Tinubu’s government did not stop the alleged persecution and 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.

“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,” he said.