The United States military is reportedly drafting contingency plans for potential airstrikes in Nigeria, following a directive from President Donald Trump to “prepare to intervene” in response to attacks on Christians, according to The New York Times.
The report said US Africa Command submitted several operational options to the Department of Defense after Secretary Pete Hegseth requested plans consistent with Trump’s order.
Citing officials familiar with the development, the newspaper said the proposals—classified as “heavy,” “medium,” and “light”—outline varying levels of possible engagement in Nigeria.
The “heavy” option would involve deploying an aircraft carrier strike group to the Gulf of Guinea, supported by fighter jets or long-range bombers to strike militant targets in northern Nigeria. The “medium” plan would rely on drone operations, using MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator aircraft for targeted strikes on insurgent camps and convoys. The “light” option would focus on intelligence sharing, logistics, and joint counterterrorism operations with Nigerian forces.
Senior Pentagon officials, however, reportedly admit that limited strikes or drone missions alone would not end Nigeria’s prolonged insurgency unless backed by a full-scale military campaign—something Washington is not currently considering.
Trump had earlier threatened to send US forces to Nigeria if the country fails to stop what he called “the killing of Christians by Islamists.” In a post on Truth Social, he warned that the US could “go in guns-a-blazing” to “wipe out” Islamic terrorists responsible for the violence.
“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,” Trump said.
The statement came after the US President designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” describing the situation as a “mass slaughter” of Christians.
Responding to the claims, President Bola Tinubu dismissed allegations of religious intolerance, insisting that Nigeria remains committed to protecting citizens of all faiths.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” Tinubu said in a statement. “Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.”
He said his administration has engaged both Christian and Muslim leaders in tackling security challenges across regions, adding that the government will continue to work with the US and other international partners to safeguard freedom of religion and belief.
