The United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, says the U.S. War Department is preparing for possible military action in Nigeria over alleged targeted killings of Christians, echoing recent warnings issued by U.S. President Donald Trump.

In a statement on X on Sunday, Hegseth said Washington was closely monitoring reports of religious violence and could intervene if the Nigerian government fails to act decisively.

“The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately,” he wrote.
“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.”

His remarks follow a message posted earlier by President Trump on his Truth Social platform, where he threatened to suspend all U.S. aid to Nigeria and “consider direct intervention” if the alleged violence is not halted.

Trump said:

“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.”

He added that he had instructed the Department of War to “prepare for possible action,” warning that any intervention would be “fast, vicious, and final.”

The Nigerian government has not yet issued an official response as of the time of reporting, though senior aides have previously dismissed similar allegations as politically motivated and exaggerated.

The development comes amid growing diplomatic tension following renewed debates in Washington about global religious freedom and U.S. foreign intervention policy.