Tensions Rise as US Military Prepares Airstrike Plans for Nigeria – Report

Tensions between Nigeria and the United States have escalated following reports that the US military is preparing potential airstrike plans for Nigeria under orders from President Donald Trump.

According to a report by The New York Times on Wednesday, President Trump instructed the Pentagon to “prepare to intervene” to protect Christians from what he described as terrorist attacks in Nigeria.

Sources familiar with the development told the paper that the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) has submitted a range of operational proposals to the Department of Defense in line with Trump’s directive. The plans, described as “heavy,” “medium,” and “light,” reportedly outline varying levels of military engagement within Nigeria.

Under the “heavy option,” the US would deploy an aircraft carrier strike group to the Gulf of Guinea, supported by fighter jets or long-range bombers capable of targeting insurgent positions in northern Nigeria.

The “medium option” involves the use of MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator drones for precision strikes on insurgent camps, convoys, and vehicles, coordinated with US intelligence assets to ensure accuracy.

Meanwhile, the “light option” focuses on intelligence sharing, logistics, and joint counterterrorism operations with Nigerian security forces targeting Boko Haram and Islamic State affiliates operating in the country’s northeast.

Senior Pentagon officials cited by The New York Times cautioned that limited airstrikes or drone operations alone are unlikely to end Nigeria’s prolonged insurgency unless accompanied by a broader campaign — a move Washington is currently hesitant to pursue.

Trump’s Directive and Justification

The development follows President Trump’s recent remarks in which he declared Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” under US law, citing what he called the “mass slaughter” of Christians by Islamic extremists.

“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,” 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,” he added.

Nigeria Responds: ‘Religious Freedom is Protected’

Reacting to the reports, President Bola Tinubu dismissed Trump’s allegations of religious persecution in Nigeria, insisting that the country remains committed to religious liberty and national unity.

“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it recognise government efforts to safeguard freedom of religion and belief,” Tinubu said in a statement personally signed on Saturday.

“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. Our administration continues to engage with Christian and Muslim leaders alike to address security challenges affecting all citizens,” he added.

The president further emphasised that Nigeria’s ongoing security operations are directed at criminal and terrorist networks, not against any religious group, urging international partners to approach the issue with objectivity.