Trump orders Department of War to prepare for possible action in Nigeria

President Trump said he has instructed the Department of War to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria, warning that the United States will immediately halt all aid and assistance to the country if its government continues to allow the killing of Christians.

“We are going to do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about,” Trump said in a briefing on Wednesday. “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, horrible atrocities.”

“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action,” Trump added. “If we attack it will be fast, vicious and sweep… Warning: The Nigerian government better move fast before it’s too late, if they don’t there is going to be hell to pay.”

Trump’s remarks follow comments made last week in which he suggested the United States could take military action in Nigeria to stop what he called the mass killing of Christians.

When asked by reporters aboard Air Force One if he envisioned U.S. troops on the ground or airstrikes, Trump replied, “Could be, I mean I envisage a lot of things.”

“They are killing record number of Christians in Nigeria,” Trump said at the time. “We are not going to allow that to happen.”

Nigeria’s government has rejected Trump’s statements. Presidential spokesperson Dr. Daniel Bwala said there is no genocide taking place in the country, and that violence has affected people of all faiths.

“It would not be diplomatically appropriate for the United States to take unilateral action without engagement and consent from the Nigerian government,” Bwala said.