In Nigeria, death and destruction show no signs of stopping. Persecution of Christians is now endemic, especially in the north, where anti-Christian violence has hit record highs. Since 2009, over 50,000 Christians have been killed by groups like Boko Haram, ISWA, and Fulani militants.
In the past decade, some 18,000 churches have been destroyed. I've walked through too many charred ruins that were once places of worship. What was a peaceful region has become a landscape of death. In a recent video, a pastor stood beside a mass grave, pleading for U.S. help.
God must have heard his cries.
Last Friday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social a strongly worded call to action. He told Congressman Riley Moore and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole to "immediately look into the matter [of Christian persecution in Nigeria] and report back."
"The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian Population around the world," he continued.
As tough as Trump seems, I know he has a soft spot for oppressed people. I also know he has a history of being keenly aware of the situation in Nigeria. During his first term, Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern with the United States Department of State.
By Saturday afternoon, he doubled down. He warned that he would stop all aid to Nigeria and go in "guns-a-blazing" if the Nigerian government continued to allow the murder of Christians. He said he had instructed the Department of War to prepare for possible action, urging the Nigerian government to "move fast."
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By Sunday, when asked what he meant by "guns-a-blazing," he explained U.S. troops could be deployed or even airstrikes could be utilized.
As someone who has worked in this part of the world for nearly a decade, Trump's zeal to intervene is a welcome change. Both the Obama and Biden administrations did very little, standing by while thousands of Christians were massacred. In fact, not only did they stand by, but the Biden administration outright removed Nigeria's Country of Particular Concern designation, even though there were blatant human rights violations happening under the watchful eye of the Nigerian government.
To see Trump taking an active role to end the attacks on Christians is a breath of fresh air, not only to me, but to many Nigerians. Every Nigerian I have spoken with said they felt the violence would continue to get worse, but Trump's words have delivered a glimmer of hope. One Nigerian said, "The U.S. is the only country that could do something about this crisis. Because of Trump, we now have hope that things could change."
In the case of Boko Haram and ISWA, I am completely in favor of using any means to stop their reign of terror in northern Nigeria. Military intervention seems to be the only means by which to cripple their activities because the Nigerian military is outnumbered and outgunned by radical Islamic groups.
Realistically, Trump is unlikely to ever deploy U.S. military forces. His signature bombastic rhetoric is designed to provoke and dominate headlines, not to trigger actual invasions. That's why my enthusiasm for his "guns-a-blazing" demand to halt the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria fizzles at the slogan itself.
My caution is this: The issue of the Muslim Fulani attacks on Christians is a related, but separate, crisis.
Much of the violence between the Fulani herders and Christian farmers is based on socio-economic and ethnic issues and not necessarily radical Islam. Of course, there are groups of Fulani militants that are radicalized, but the majority of Fulani are peaceful people who desire harmony with their Christian neighbors. I have worked with the Fulani people for years, I speak their language, and understand their culture after embedding myself in their communities. I have met with thousands of Fulani leaders and brokered peace agreements between Fulani tribes and Christian communities that are still honored to this day.
U.S. military intervention in Nigeria could likely cause the death of many innocent people, cause further instability, and draw targeted communities into radical ideology. Radical Islamic groups are masters at interlacing themselves in the communities of the innocent. This seems to be a pattern of radical Islam around the world. Many despise their presence and don't agree with them, but they are forced to join, support, and participate as a matter of survival. They simply have no other option. This is a difficult thing for Americans to understand. Even surgical airstrikes by the U.S. military would likely cause massive collateral damage.
In the end, I praise Trump for his boldness and willingness to act on behalf of the millions of Christians suffering in Nigeria. As someone once said, "The world will not be destroyed by evil, but by good people who do nothing to stop it." While Obama and Biden have earned their spot on that list, Trump will certainly not be among them.
Brad Brandon is the founder and CEO of Across Nigeria. Since 2018, he has been actively serving in the foreign mission field. He serves predominantly in high-risk, highly persecuted areas like Northern Nigeria and other parts of West Africa.
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