The U.S. military has prepared contingency plans for potential strikes on Nigeria after President Donald J. Trump reportedly ordered the Pentagon to be ready for possible action in response to what officials have described as a “false claim” of widespread Christian persecution in the country, according to The New York Times.
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) submitted the options to the Department of War earlier this week at the request of Secretary Pete Hegseth, defense officials told the paper. The plans outline a range of possible military responses, from limited airstrikes to broader operations targeting militant groups accused of religious violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region.
The report comes amid renewed scrutiny of President Trump’s foreign policy directives in Africa, which critics say have been shaped more by social media narratives and partisan influencers than verified intelligence.
Senior defense officials emphasized that no final decision has been made and that the President’s directive does not necessarily mean military action is imminent. “This remains a planning exercise,” one official told The Times, noting that the intelligence community has found no evidence of an organized genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
If carried out, such strikes would mark a significant escalation of U.S. military involvement in West Africa, where Washington has largely limited its engagement to counterterrorism training and intelligence-sharing.
The Nigerian government has not yet issued an official response to the reports.
