U.S. Military Drafts Airstrike Plans for Nigeria After Trump Threat
The United States military has reportedly developed contingency plans for potential airstrikes in Nigeria, following an order by President Donald Trump directing the Pentagon to “prepare to intervene” to protect Christians from terrorist attacks.
According to a New York Times report on Wednesday, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) submitted multiple operational options to the Pentagon after Secretary Pete Hegseth demanded an actionable framework in line with Trump’s directive.
Citing senior military officials, the report said the plans were divided into “heavy,” “medium,” and “light” options — each proposing different levels of military engagement in Nigeria’s insurgency-ravaged regions.
Under the “heavy option,” Washington would deploy a carrier strike group to the Gulf of Guinea, supported by fighter jets and long-range bombers to hit militant strongholds deep inside northern Nigeria.
The “medium option” involves the use of MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator drones for targeted strikes on insurgent camps and moving convoys, with full U.S. intelligence support to ensure precision.
The “light option,” on the other hand, focuses on intelligence sharing, logistics, and limited joint operations with Nigerian forces against Boko Haram and other Islamist groups accused of killings, abductions, and church attacks.
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However, Pentagon insiders reportedly cautioned that limited strikes or drone raids were unlikely to crush Nigeria’s complex insurgency without a broader campaign similar to U.S. operations in Iraq or Afghanistan — an option Washington currently has no appetite for.
Trump’s renewed rhetoric came after he recently threatened to deploy U.S. troops to Nigeria if what he described as the “genocide of Christians” continued unchecked.
While the Federal Government on Wednesday rejected its inclusion on the U.S. list of countries violating religious freedom, insisting that such a designation stems from “inaccurate data and misrepresentation” of the nation’s security challenges.
“The government disputes claims of targeted religious persecution. Since 2023, President Tinubu’s administration has neutralised over 13,500 militants and rescued more than 11,000 hostages,” said Information Minister Mohammed Idris.
“Nigeria remains open to U.S. collaboration on counterterrorism, but emphasises mutual respect for sovereignty.”
Idris stressed that the country’s security crisis is terrorism-driven, not religious, and that both Christians and Muslims have suffered from extremist violence.
Meanwhile, China waded into the controversy on Tuesday, voicing strong support for Nigeria’s sovereignty and warning against foreign interference.
“China firmly opposes any country using religion or human rights as an excuse to meddle in others’ internal affairs or threaten them with sanctions or force,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing.
Later on Wednesday, Trump doubled down on his position, declaring that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” and insisting that America was “ready, willing and able to save our great Christian population around the world.”
By PRNigeria
