United States President Donald Trump has warned that he has directed the Department of Defence to prepare for potential military intervention in Nigeria if the Nigerian government “continues to allow the killing of Christians.”

Trump made the disclosure in a statement shared on his Truth Social account on Saturday, a day after he designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged acts of genocide against Christians.

According to the President Donald Trump, the U.S. government would also suspend all forms of aid and assistance to Nigeria in response to the escalating violence targeting Christians.

Trump stated that America “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.”

In his Truth Social post, he wrote:

“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! > WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!”

His statement have since stirred widespread reactions among Nigerians and international observers, following his designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern.

Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian government have, in separate statements, rejected Trump’s designation, maintaining that the country remains committed to protecting all religions.