U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Nigeria on Saturday, threatening to suspend all American aid and authorize military intervention unless the Nigerian government takes immediate action to halt what he described as the “mass slaughter” of Christians by Islamist extremists.

The remarks, delivered via a fiery Truth Social post, came just one day after the Trump administration redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act. Trump accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect its Christian population, claiming—without providing evidence—that 3,100 Christians had been killed in 2025 alone, a figure he compared to 4,476 global religiously motivated deaths.

“If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet,” Trump wrote, adding that he had instructed the Pentagon’s “Department of War” to prepare a military response plan. He framed the threat as a defense of Christianity against what he called an “existential threat,” and warned the Nigerian government to “move fast.”

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is nearly evenly divided between a Muslim-majority north and a Christian-majority south. The country has long grappled with complex and overlapping security challenges, including Islamist insurgencies, ethnic violence, and resource-based conflicts. Groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP have targeted both Christian and Muslim communities, with thousands of civilians killed or displaced in recent years.

Nigerian officials swiftly rejected Trump’s claims. Information Minister Mohammed Idris, speaking to CNN, described the data as “faulty” and emphasized the government’s ongoing counterterrorism efforts, including the arrest of over 1,200 Boko Haram suspects in 2025. He reiterated that the violence affects all communities and is not rooted in religious persecution.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa echoed the sentiment, stating that the U.S. president’s remarks were “misleading and inflammatory,” and warned that such rhetoric could undermine bilateral relations and inflame tensions within Nigeria.

The controversy follows mounting pressure from U.S. lawmakers, including Representative Riley Moore, who in October called for renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s religious freedom record. Moore cited figures from advocacy group Open Doors, which alleges over 7,000 Christian deaths in Nigeria this year and more than 19,000 church attacks since 2009.

While the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has supported increased oversight, critics warn that Trump’s aggressive posture could destabilize diplomatic ties and complicate counterterrorism cooperation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed the CPC designation, condemning the “wanton destruction” in Nigeria and pledging further action.

The situation remains volatile, particularly in Nigeria’s northeast, where extremist violence has displaced more than 3.5 million people since 2023. A recent viral video showing the burial of 11 victims in Heipang, Plateau State, has intensified international concern, though Nigerian authorities maintain there is no evidence of a targeted genocide.