U.S. Labels Nigeria CPC, Threatens Military Action

President Donald Trump used Truth Social to instruct the Pentagon to prepare for “possible action,” designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern over alleged attacks on Christians, and threaten aid cuts and a “fast, vicious” strike; the remarks drew alarm in Washington and elicited a public “Yes sir” from a Defense Department commentator. Nigeria and President Bola Tinubu rejected the portrayal of the country as religiously intolerant, said the killings are not government‑sanctioned, and said they would accept U.S. assistance only if their sovereignty and territorial integrity were respected, with Nigerian spokesmen proposing direct talks and a meeting between Tinubu and Trump. Analysts and independent monitors say violence in the north and Middle Belt is driven by Islamist insurgents, criminal militias and local land/ethnic disputes, with victims determined largely by location rather than religion and many casualties Muslim as well as Christian. The escalation follows amplification by conservative media and politicians, including Sen. Ted Cruz, who used older or disputed reports to press claims of targeted Christian persecution. Legal and diplomatic experts warn the U.S. cannot unilaterally invade a sovereign partner without major consequences and argue that military intervention would likely be counterproductive to defeating groups like Boko Haram and ISIS‑WA.