The United States Congress has approved a resolution authorising President Donald Trump to launch targeted military operations in Nigeria against armed groups accused of carrying out large-scale attacks on Christian communities in the northern and central regions of the country.
The resolution, titled the Nigeria Religious Freedom Protection and Counter-Terrorism Act of 2025, passed with 285 votes out of 383 in a rare bipartisan decision involving both Republicans and Democrats. It follows weeks of closed-door security briefings and growing frustration in Washington over continued killings, abductions and village burnings attributed to Boko Haram and armed Fulani militias.
President Trump welcomed the vote, describing the violence as “genocide against Christians” and declaring on Truth Social that the United States military was “ready” and prepared to act once he signs the bill into law. Under US constitutional provisions, he has ten days to do so.
The resolution follows earlier actions taken by the Trump administration, including the designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations and the freezing of more than $1 billion in annual US aid pending improvements in security conditions. The Pentagon has also been directed to prepare plans for rapid military intervention, with analysts predicting precision airstrikes and special-forces missions rather than a large ground deployment.
The Nigerian government has rejected the congressional decision. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described the vote as an “overreach,” insisting that the insecurity affecting Nigerians “of all faiths” remains an internal matter. Several African and European governments have also warned that unilateral US military action could destabilise West Africa.
Human-rights groups and evangelical organisations in the US have welcomed the resolution, calling it a long-overdue response to years of deadly attacks. International monitoring bodies such as Open Doors continue to rank Nigeria as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Christians.
With President Trump expected to sign the measure, US military operations could begin within days, marking one of the most significant foreign policy interventions in West Africa in recent years.
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