Donald Trump threatens 'guns-a-blazing' military action in Nigeria as 'Christians killed by Islamic terrorists'

On Saturday, Mr Trump revealed he had asked the Pentagon to create a possible plan of attack in the African country just one day after he warned that Christianity was "facing an existential threat" there.

He said on social media: "If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA 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."

The President continued: "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!"

Sharing the President's post, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth added: "Yes sir. 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."

On Friday, Mr Trump claimed that "thousands of Christians are being killed [and] radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter", although he did not provide any evidence.

Many politicians in the US have backed up the accusations against the African nation.

In March, Congressman for New Jersey Chris Smith demanded Nigeria be added to the list of "Countries of Particular Concern" (CPC) by the State Department.

Mr Trump announced on Friday this would be implemented over what he labelled an "existential threat" to the Christian population in the country.

Last month, both Ted Cruz, Senator for Texas, and Riley Moore, Congressman for West Virginia, accused the Nigerian Government of turning a blind eye to the "mass murder" of Christians in its country.

However, Nigerian officials rejected the accusations.

The country's President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said on Saturday: "The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality.

"Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so."

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is consumed by security issues.

According to the United Nations, the northeastern region is home to a Boko Haram jihadist insurgency which has killed more than 40,000 and displaced more than two million since 2009.

The country is almost evenly split between a Muslim-majority north and a primarily Christian south.

The centre of Nigeria has seen repeated clashes between Muslim herders and Christian farmers, although it is thought this is often over land access rather than for inter-religious reasons.