November 09, (THEWILL) — President Donald Trump has made it succinctly clear that he intends to intervene militarily in Nigeria to confront criminals and terrorist groups that target Christians. Trump’s threats came after reports of increased violence in the country’s northern regions. The United States’ president described the situation as an existential threat to Christianity, with radical Islamists responsible for mass killings. The United States Government has since designated Nigeria a country of particular concern for religious freedom violations. This move followed Trump’s accusation that the Nigerian authorities have failed to protect Christian communities. Nigerian officials have rejected the claim of targeted persecution against Christians. They argue that the violence affects people of various faiths and stems from broader conflicts, such as disputes between farmers and herders. There are also credible claims that the violence is being perpetrated by elements behind the illegal mining of rare earth minerals in that region.
The violence in northern Nigeria has intensified in 2025. Groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province continue operations in the northeast. In the north-central states, attacks by criminal gangs have displaced thousands and caused numerous deaths. According to a report from the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of the Law, more than 7,000 Christians lost their lives in the first 220 days of the year. The Open Doors World Watch List for 2025 places Nigeria seventh among countries where it proves most difficult to practise Christianity. Of the 4,476 Christians killed worldwide for their faith in the reporting period, 3,100 occurred in Nigeria, representing 69 percent of the global total. I must say that these are shocking revelations that should jolt and shock any government that wants to be taken seriously.
Specific incidents highlight the scale of the problem. In June this year, attackers struck the village of Yelwata in Benue State, killing over 100 people. Residents identified the assailants as herders. The region lies at the boundary between Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north and mainly Christian south. Farmers and herders have clashed there for years over access to land and water. Climate change and population growth have worsened these tensions. By the end of the month, the death toll reached 200 in similar circumstances. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project notes that violence targeting Christians forms about 3 percent of organised political events in the northwest and north-central areas, though overall civilian deaths have risen sharply.
Since about 2009, these north-east groups have wreaked large-scale violence: imposing levies/taxes in areas under their control, targeting communities and individuals regarded as opponents and they are estimated to have killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions. The United Nations reports that insurgent violence has displaced over 2 million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. Fulani herders, often armed with sophisticated weapons, conduct raids in the Middle Belt. Victims report that attackers shout religious slogans during assaults. Churches serve as initial targets in some cases, suggesting coordination according to some observers.
Sadly, the Nigerian military struggles to contain these threats. Despite year-on-year increments in the defence budget, insurgents evade comprehensive capture and eradication. The forces have lost hundreds of personnel to ambushes since 2015. Reports by Transparency International and local civilsociety partners indicate that corruption in Nigeria’s defence sector diverts funds meant for counterterrorism. They describe practices such as ghost soldiers, diversion of allowances, inflated procurement contracts and weak oversight. These systemic issues leave troops underequipped, erode morale and impede operations against insurgent groups like Boko Haram. There are also allegations that top military, defence officials and government personnel do not want the war against terror to end because of the billions of naira they pocket from the conflict.
Corruption in Nigeria’s security sector deepens insecurity. Funds meant for counterterrorism frequently vanish in procurement scandals or ghost-soldier schemes. Some diverted arms even end up on black markets, indirectly benefiting insurgents. In the northwest, armed groups exploit weak oversight through kidnappings for ransom, further stretching limited resources. The military’s inability to protect civilians, despite its reputation as one of the best on the continent, has led to accusations of complicity or neglect.
I must emphasise that Trump’s rhetoric reflects domestic political pressures in the United States. His base includes many evangelical Christians who view the Nigerian situation as a moral crisis. In his statement, he warned of air strikes or troop deployment if Nigeria does not act. The Africa Command of the United States military has drafted options ranging from intelligence sharing to direct strikes, according to a report by the New York Times. Nigeria’s presidency welcomes assistance but insists on respect for its sovereignty. I agree with this. Officials emphasise that the violence involves multiple groups, not just attacks on Christians. The government frames many incidents as disputes rather than religious persecution.
This framing has drawn criticism from Christian leaders. Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of Makurdi described the violence as a jihad disguised as terrorism and banditry. He called for international attention to what he terms a conspiracy of silence. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged stronger measures. Its 2025 annual report details ongoing insurgent activity in the northeast and north-central states. Congressman Riley Moore introduced a resolution recently condemning the persecution and demanding that the United States hold Nigeria accountable.
Sovereignty concerns dominate Nigerian responses. The presidency argues that foreign intervention could escalate tensions. Some analysts warn of blowback, like past operations in Somalia. The International Crisis Group cautions against narratives that oversimplify the security challenges. It points out that reducing the issue to Christian persecution ignores Muslim victims and economic drivers. Yet, the death toll among Christians remains disproportionate. This is what I think supports the genocide against Christian theory.
Beneath the immediate violence lies a deeper failure of governance. Corruption has eroded Nigeria’s democratic institutions at very alarming levels. The 2019 and 2023 elections faced widespread irregularities, including vote buying and result falsification. When citizens doubt the electoral process, support for security measures wanes and there is accountability at all. Political leaders prioritise personal gain over national defence. This environment allows insurgents to recruit from disillusioned youth. Bandit groups exploit weak institutions in the northwest, conducting raids unchecked.
Since 2017, the United States has provided roughly US$650 million in security cooperation to Nigeria (including training and equipment) alongside substantial arms sales. Oversight bodies and civil-society groups argue that corruption in Nigeria’s defence and security sector undermines the impact of such assistance, citing examples of diverted funds, ghost soldiers, and under‐equipped frontline troops. This calls for the need to shift focus to institution-building, including training for anti-corruption agencies and asset recovery programmes. Under the Global Magnitsky Act, the United States can impose sanctions on foreign officials implicated in corruption or human rights abuses. This framework could target Nigerian officials accused of laundering public funds abroad or benefiting from systemic graft.
Trump’s threats have prompted debate on what form America’s intervention should take. Nigeria’s military has improved in some areas, reclaiming territory from Boko Haram. Yet, these gains have been limited in contrast with the expected capabilities of the military.
I think President Trump will conduct limited airstrikes targeting and eliminating key insurgents and their bases. This should however not end here. The United States military should work with and assist the Nigerian military to destroy these terrorists and their sponsors. No Nigerian deserves to die the way people are being killed in the country. Enough!
Leaders in Abuja must confront their failures, while Washington and allies offer partnership, not imposition.
