4:03Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth observes during a meeting between President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, November 18, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Defense Chief Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Head Gen. Dan Caine intended to convene with Nigeria’s national security advisor on Thursday evening, following President Donald Trump's threats to dispatch U.S. forces into the nation with "guns-a-blazing" to "eliminate the Islamic Terrorists" he claimed were murdering Christians.
The conference, verified by a couple of defense department representatives, was absent from Hegseth or Caine’s official agendas, and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu’s arrival at the Pentagon was not accessible to journalists.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on during a meeting with President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, November 18, 2025.Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
The Defense Department, which Hegseth now calls the Department of War, also didn’t respond to inquiries regarding the group’s planned discussion topics or whether the military would adjust its stance in Africa. Military leaders have consistently cautioned that Africa has become a global epicenter for radical terrorism.
Earlier in the month, Trump instructed the Defense Department to get ready for prospective "swift" military intervention in Nigeria if its government failed to enhance its efforts to thwart the deaths of Christians. The incidents of violence in Nigeria received comprehensive coverage from Fox News and voices from the Christian political right including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Riley Moore, R-W. Va.
Separate crisis-monitoring agencies, notably the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, state that numerous thousands of civilians have been slain in Nigeria recently, but they clarify that this figure encompasses both Muslims and Christians.
In a message posted on his social networking site on Nov. 1, Trump wrote, "if the Nigerian Government continues to permit the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will promptly halt all assistance to Nigeria, and may very well enter that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing,' to completely eradicate the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these appalling atrocities. I am hereby directing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!"
Hegseth quickly acknowledged Trump’s message with a "Yes sir," adding “the Department of War is gearing up for action."
Trump also reinstated Nigeria on a roster of nations that the U.S. asserts have infringed upon religious freedom.
Nigeria’s government has pushed back against the designation as a "country of particular concern." Functionaries there assert that the assertion that it's failing to safeguard segments of the populace due to their religious convictions was built upon disinformation and inaccurate data.
President Donald Trump meets Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington.Win McNamee/Getty Images
Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stated "the portrayal of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national situation, nor does it account for the consistent and genuine endeavors of the government to protect freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians."
Deploying U.S. ground troops into Nigeria would create substantial logistical and security challenges, attributed to Nigeria’s distant topography, permeable frontiers, and a populace apt to resent a foreign presence. There are 6,500 military members stationed throughout Africa, principally concentrating on counterterrorism assignments. However, the sole personnel in Nigeria are embassy personnel with no sustained troop presence in West Africa or the Sahel region, which the military cautions is an active hub for extremism.
Undertaking drone strikes in West Africa could also present logistical difficulties, especially given that the U.S. was compelled to abandon counterterrorism outposts in adjacent Niger after a military takeover there.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jacob McGee indicated to reporter that the "forthright dialogues" with Nigerian officials were yielding the desired outcome.
"I believe President Trump's decisive measure to officially designate Nigeria a country of particular concern was well-received by almost every civil society and religious activist organization, and it's captured Nigerian officials' attention. Consequently, we're having candid exchanges,” McGee stated.
A Nigerian group also engaged with legislators on Capitol Hill this week, according to Rep. Moore.
"I conveyed with utter clarity that the United States must witness palpable actions to guarantee that Christians are not subjected to violence, persecution, displacement, and death simply for professing belief in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," Moore articulated in a declaration.
ABC's Mariam Khan contributed to this report.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
