Nigeria has opened diplomatic talks with the United States after Donald Trump threatened possible military action over alleged attacks on Christians, Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar disclosed on Monday.
Tuggar explained that discussions with Washington are ongoing and now centred on security cooperation rather than the former U.S. president’s public warning. “What we are discussing is how we can collaborate to tackle security challenges that are in the interest of the entire planet,” he said.
Trump, earlier in November, claimed radical Islamist groups in Nigeria were “killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers” and said he had asked the Pentagon to draw up potential strike plans. He further warned that Christianity faced “an existential threat” in Nigeria and that U.S. action would be “fast, vicious, and sweet” if the killings continued.
Tuggar downplayed the likelihood of a U.S. military operation, saying: “No, I do not think so. Because we continue to talk, and as I said, the discussion has progressed. It’s moved on from that”.
The minister also emphasised that Nigeria regularly engages with international partners, including the U.S., U.K., and EU, on counterterrorism, humanitarian challenges, and deradicalisation efforts, noting that Trump’s remarks did not reflect official U.S. government policy.
Human rights groups have warned that the security situation in Nigeria is complex, involving jihadist insurgencies in the northeast, farmer-herder clashes in the Middle Belt, and banditry in the northwest, with victims across religious lines. Analysts say Trump’s statements risk oversimplifying a multidimensional crisis.
U.S. State Department officials have not confirmed any active military planning but said Washington remains committed to supporting Nigeria in counterterrorism, stabilisation, and interfaith peacebuilding initiatives.
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