Tension as US weighs military options in Nigeria as Trump escalates genocide claims

The United States military has drafted a series of contingency plans for possible operations in Nigeria, following President Donald Trump’s directive to prepare a response to what he described as widespread killings of Christians in the country.

A report by The New York Times on Wednesday said the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) submitted three options – labelled heavy, medium and light – to the Department of War after a request by Secretary Pete Hegseth.

The plan options

According to senior military officials, the heavy option would constitute the most forceful action. It proposes deploying an aircraft carrier strike group to the Gulf of Guinea and launching airstrikes, via fighter jets or long-range bombers, against targets in northern Nigeria.

The medium option centres on drone strikes. US Predator and Reaper drones would be used to track and hit militants’ camps, vehicles and infrastructure.

The light option involves training, intelligence sharing and operational support to Nigerian forces in identifying and targeting Boko Haram, ISWAP and other actors involved in the protracted conflict.

Officials said the overarching objective is to degrade jihadist groups, deter attacks on Christian communities and help end the insurgency in the north and the middle belt.

Trump’s designation and warning

The development comes days after President Trump designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” and ordered the suspension of arms sales and technical assistance to Abuja.

He accused the government of President Bola Tinubu of failing to curb the killing of Christians.

“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” Mr Trump said, vowing that any US response would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”

The Nigerian government has dismissed the allegations as inaccurate and politically driven.

Complex conflict, uncertain outcomes

Security analysts quoted by the report cautioned that the conflict in northern and central Nigeria is far more complex than the narrative of religious persecution. Many of the clashes involve disputes over land use, climate stress and ethnic rivalries, while jihadist groups have attacked both Muslim and Christian civilians.

Paul Eaton, a retired US Army general who served in Iraq, warned that limited or symbolic strikes may worsen instability rather than resolve it. “It would be a fiasco,” he said. “Like pounding a pillow—lots of shock, very little result.”

Operational constraints

Beyond political concerns, the military options face logistical challenges.

The US has limited carrier availability, with several deployed elsewhere or undergoing maintenance. Drone-strike capacity is also constrained after the US withdrew from its bases in Niger earlier this year.

The lighter support option is complicated by the dissolution of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which previously coordinated civilian engagement and humanitarian response. Its Abuja office was closed in July.