Donald Trump’s threat to send American forces “guns-a-blazing” into Nigeria triggered uproar in the United States Congress on Thursday, as lawmakers warned that his rhetoric could inflame tensions and undermine delicate diplomatic efforts in West Africa.
The outburst came during a heated session of the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, where lawmakers, religious leaders, State Department officials and expert witnesses clashed over Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged Christian genocide.
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Trump’s comments, issued after the designation, instantly escalated the debate, drawing international attention and reviving long-standing questions about religious freedom, governance failures and Washington’s role in addressing violence in Africa’s most populous nation.
The hearing, chaired by Chris Smith, Congressman, sought to examine the scale of religious persecution in Nigeria and explore potential US responses ranging from targeted sanctions to humanitarian aid and deeper cooperation with Abuja.
Jonathan Pratt and Jacob McGee, Senior State Department officials, testified before a second panel including Nina Shea of the Centre for Religious Freedom; Wilfred Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi; and Oge Onubogu of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
Smith opened the session with a warning, claiming that 89 per cent of Christians killed worldwide are in Nigeria, with more than 52,000 slaughtered since 2009.
He accused militant Fulani herdsmen of rape, kidnapping and murder carried out with “total impunity” and faulted previous US administrations for easing pressure by removing Nigeria from the CPC list despite contrary recommendations.
The attacks, he maintained, are clearly “religiously motivated.”
Pratt, representing the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, said Washington is alarmed by the spread of extremist groups, including Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa, ISIS Sahel, Ansaru and Lakurawa beyond the North-East and into the Middle Belt.
He argued that the violence reflects a “problem of prioritisation” by Nigerian authorities and urged Abuja to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable communities.
He revealed that the Trump administration is drawing up a broad security plan involving the State Department, Treasury and potentially the Department of War to pressure Nigeria to improve accountability and strengthen protection for Christian communities.
Lawmakers, however, remained sharply divided as John James, a Representative described Nigeria as “the deadliest place on earth to be a Christian,” citing nearly 17,000 killings since 2019.
He linked religious violence to governance lapses and referenced the continued detention of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu as evidence of selective law enforcement.
In response to suggestions that extremist groups may have infiltrated Nigeria’s government, Pratt dismissed the claims, insisting there was no evidence of jihadist penetration of state institutions.
He added that Nigeria had taken its CPC designation seriously, with a senior delegation already in Washington for consultations.
Emotions ran high when Bill Huizenga, a Congressman accused the Tinubu administration of failing to protect Christians and other vulnerable groups from “radicalised Islamists.”
He criticised both US lawmakers and the media for downplaying the crisis and questioned the adequacy of US humanitarian support for states such as Benue, where he noted that 1.4 million people are displaced.
Johnny Olszewski, another member of the committee, urged a broader view of Nigeria’s crisis, stressing that both Christians and Muslims face relentless attacks from extremist groups.
He argued that Nigeria’s core problem is not intent but institutional capacity, and questioned whether Washington is offering real partnership or merely issuing threats.
Pramila Jayapal, a Representative echoed concerns about oversimplifying the crisis.
She said framing the violence as solely anti-Christian “feels simplistic,” given the ethnic, political and economic dimensions of the conflict.
Jayapal condemned Trump’s threat of military strikes, saying such action would be illegal without congressional authorisation or Nigeria’s consent.
She also warned that cutting assistance could cripple vital health programmes combating malaria and HIV.
One of the most emotional testimonies came from Wilfred Anagbe (Bishop), who warned that Christianity faces the threat of extinction in parts of Northern and Middle Belt Nigeria.
He described a systematic effort to annihilate Christian communities, pointing to killings, mass displacement, sexual violence and the destruction of farmlands.
He recounted attacks on his hometown and the attempted murder of Solomon Atongo, a priest and referenced mass killings across Plateau, Kaduna, Kogi and Benue states, including the June 13 massacre in Yelwata where more than 278 people were reportedly killed.
Anagbe accused the Federal Government of silence and complicity and warned that extremist groups are pushing further south, worsening food insecurity and displacements.
While thanking Trump for the redesignation, he urged the US to back it with action, targeted sanctions, expanded humanitarian support and pressure to eliminate blasphemy laws, insisting that “inaction emboldens extremists.”
Sara Jacobs, Congresswoman, criticised Trump’s rhetoric as dangerous, saying it distorts the nature of Nigeria’s conflict and risks escalating tensions.
She warned that unilateral military action would be illegal and could worsen civilian casualties, arguing instead for diplomacy, institutional reform and investment in violence-prevention programmes.