United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth has signalled readiness to take military action over alleged killings of Christians in Nigeria, echoing a threat from US President Donald Trump that stirred international concern.
In an X post on Sunday, the US official said that the United States Department of War is preparing for action if Nigeria fails to protect Christians.
“The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately.
“The Department of War is preparing for action.
“Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Hegseth wrote.
The message follows a post by Mr Trump on his Truth Social platform, in which he warned that the United States would “prepare for possible action” and threatened to halt aid to Nigeria if the alleged violence continued.
The US President also threatened to halt all aid and assistance to Nigeria if President Bola Tinubu’s administration failed to end the alleged persecution and killing of Christians.
“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.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians,” he said.