Protests Erupt in Northern Nigeria Over Trump’s Threat of Military Intervention
Protests Erupt in Northern Nigeria Over Trump’s Threat of Military Intervention
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Thousands of protesters rallied in the northern Nigerian city of Kano on Saturday, denouncing U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to launch military action in the country, according to multiple media reports.
The demonstrations were organized by Islamic organizations and civil society groups, who rejected Trump’s claims of a so-called “Christian genocide” in Nigeria. Protesters marched through central Kano carrying placards reading, “We condemn Trump’s threat to attack Nigeria,” “There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria,” and “America wants to control our resources.”
Trump had announced on Nov. 1 that he had instructed the Pentagon to prepare options for potential military operations against “terrorist groups in Nigeria” to protect Christian communities. He further warned that if the Nigerian government “continues to allow the killing of Christians,” Washington would suspend all aid and could “go into that now disgraced country, guns-a-blazing.”
The Nigerian government swiftly rejected the accusations, calling them baseless and inflammatory. Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar stated that the Nigerian state “cannot, at any level—federal, regional, or local—support religious persecution in any form.”
Analysts and human rights observers noted that Nigeria’s security crisis is complex and rooted in overlapping conflicts involving Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), armed criminal gangs, and herder-farmer clashes driven by economic and social pressures rather than purely religious motives.
Protesters in Kano accused the U.S. administration of exploiting religious narratives to justify interference in African nations. The rallies remained largely peaceful but underscored growing anti-American sentiment and fears of foreign intervention in Nigeria’s internal affairs.
