Welcome Trump's Help Against Islamist Insurgents But US Must Respect Territorial Integrity: Nigeria

Last Updated:November 03, 2025, 01:25 IST

Trump threatened military action and aid cuts over Christian killings in Nigeria; Nigeria welcomed help but insisted on respect for its sovereignty.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu (Reuters)

After US President Donald Trump vowed military action in Nigeria over killing of Christians, Nigeria on Sunday said it welcomes Washington’s help in fighting Islamist insurgents if its territorial integrity is respected.

Trump on Friday announced that Nigeria has been designated a “country of particular concern", citing what he called an “existential threat" to Christianity in the West African nation.

Later, he issued a forceful warning to the government of Nigeria, stating that if it fails to halt the killings of Christians in the country, the United States will immediately stop all aid and “may very well" initiate military action.

In a post to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump declared: “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."

The US President instructed the US’ Department of War to prepare, warning any US attack would be “fast, vicious, and sweet," and told the Nigerian government to “move fast."

Responding to Trump’s remarks, Daniel Bwala, an adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, said: “We welcome US assistance as long as it recognises our territorial integrity."

According to Reuters, Bwala sought to play down tensions between the two states, despite Trump calling Nigeria a “disgraced country".

“I am sure by the time these two leaders meet and sit, there would be better outcomes in our joint resolve to fight terrorism," he said.

On Saturday, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu pushed back on Trump, announcing a day earlier that he was designating the West African country “a country of particular concern" for allegedly failing to rein in the persecution of Christians, The Washington Post reported.

Nigerian authorities have denied that Christians are being systematically targeted. Information Minister Mohammed Idris called the claims of mass persecution “very misleading," rejecting reports that tens of thousands had been killed, Fox News reported.

News world Welcome Trump's Help Against Islamist Insurgents But US Must Respect Territorial Integrity: Nigeria

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