Chad’s government ordered the immediate closure of its border with Nigeria on Monday, citing fears of potential U.S. military action and the risk of militant spillover from northern Nigeria.

President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno deployed troops and armored vehicles to key crossings, with military officials stating the move is aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty amid rising geopolitical tensions.

The decision follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s October 31 post on Truth Social, in which he threatened “guns-a-blazing” intervention in Nigeria over alleged Christian persecution. The post has reignited regional anxieties and prompted Chad to take preemptive security measures. Chadian military sources told counterterrorism analyst Zagazola Makama that the closure is intended to block terrorist incursions. Déby declared, “No armed group or foreign force will be allowed to enter Chadian soil under any guise.”

Heavily armed units are now stationed along major corridors linking Chad and Nigeria, with no timeline given for reopening. However, officials in Nigeria’s Borno State have denied reports of a full shutdown, urging calm and stating that cross-border movement remains uninterrupted. “There’s no lockdown; it’s business as usual,” a state security source said, attributing the confusion to misinformation amplified by Trump’s rhetoric.

Analysts have expressed concern over the broader impact. Dr. Musa Yusuf of the Centre for Private Enterprise described the move as “proactive but disruptive,” warning that it could stall vital trade and humanitarian aid across the Lake Chad Basin, where 3.5 million people remain displaced due to insurgency.

The border closure highlights the fragile state of regional cooperation following the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States—Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad—and ongoing tensions within ECOWAS. Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry has proposed a summit between President Bola Tinubu and President Trump to de-escalate the situation, but Chad’s swift action reflects deep unease over potential spillover effects.