President Donald Trump declared on Saturday that he has instructed the Department of Defense to prepare for possible military intervention in Nigeria over the alleged killing of Christians in that country.

“If the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the United States will immediately suspend all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and it is very likely that we will enter that country now “Disgraced, with all weapons at hand, to totally annihilate the Islamic terrorists who commit these horrible atrocities,” Trump wrote on social media. The president also warned that he would “immediately suspend all aid and assistance to Nigeria.” “If we attack, it will be swift, brutal, and vicious—just like the terrorists attack our beloved Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT MUST ACT FAST!” Trump added. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to Trump’s social media post with a “Yes, sir.” “The murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria—and everywhere else—must end immediately,” Hegseth declared on X. “The War Department is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic terrorists who commit these horrible atrocities.”

Trump's announcement comes a day after he designated Nigeria a "country of special concern," a designation the United States gives to countries the government believes engage in "particularly serious violations of religious freedom." Other countries on the list include China, Cuba, and North Korea.

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said in a statement posted on social media Saturday that characterizing Nigeria as a religiously intolerant country does not reflect the national reality.

"Religious freedom and tolerance have been and always will be a fundamental pillar of our collective identity," Tinubu said. "Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it."

Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all religions. Nigeria's population of 220 million is divided almost equally between Christians and Muslims. The country has long suffered from insecurity on several fronts, including the extremist group Boko Haram, which seeks to impose its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also attacked Muslims it considers not sufficiently observant.