The United States has reportedly developed contingency plans for possible military action in Nigeria, following President Donald Trump’s directive to the Pentagon to prepare a response aimed at protecting Christians from terrorist violence.
A report by The New York Times on Wednesday revealed that the U.S. Africa Command has drafted several operational strategies at the request of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The proposals — categorized as heavy, medium, and light options — outline different levels of involvement in Nigeria’s conflict with violent extremist groups.
According to senior defense officials cited in the report, the most aggressive plan would see the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group to the Gulf of Guinea. This move would enable U.S. fighter jets or long-range bombers to strike militant strongholds deep in northern Nigeria.
A more moderate approach involves the use of MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator drones for targeted attacks on insurgent camps, vehicles, and logistical routes. Such operations would rely heavily on U.S. intelligence for precision strikes.
The least intrusive option centers on bolstering Nigeria’s military capabilities through intelligence sharing, logistics assistance, and limited joint operations against Boko Haram and other Islamist factions responsible for mass killings, kidnappings, and church attacks.
Despite the preparations, Pentagon officials reportedly acknowledge that limited strikes would not decisively end Nigeria’s years-long insurgency without a large-scale campaign similar to U.S. operations in Afghanistan or Iraq — a move that currently has no political backing in Washington.
The geopolitical fallout is already mounting. China has openly backed Nigeria, condemning what it calls “foreign interference” disguised as concern for religion or human rights.
“As a comprehensive strategic partner, China opposes any nation threatening others with sanctions or force while claiming to defend human rights,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.
Nigeria’s government has also pushed back firmly. Information Minister Mohammed Idris dismissed U.S. claims of religious persecution as “misleading,” insisting that terrorism — not targeted faith-based attacks — is the core challenge.
He noted that since 2023, the Tinubu administration has neutralised more than 13,500 militants and rescued over 11,000 captives, stressing that both Christians and Muslims suffer under extremist violence.
Nigeria, he said, welcomes cooperation with the U.S. on counterterrorism “based on mutual respect for sovereignty.”
However, the standoff intensified again Wednesday evening when Trump doubled down on his threat of intervention.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” he declared. “The United States cannot stand by… We are ready and able to protect Christians around the world.”
As diplomatic tensions deepen, policymakers in Washington are again grappling with the question of how far the U.S. should go in confronting violent religious extremism beyond its borders — and whether Nigeria could become the next battleground in that debate.