Mass protests erupted on Saturday in Kano, northern Nigeria, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to launch military action against the country over alleged persecution of Christians.
According to reports, large crowds of demonstrators, mainly from Islamic groups, gathered in the city to denounce Trump’s remarks and reject his claims of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.
Protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “We condemn Trump’s threat to attack Nigeria,” “There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria,” and “America wants to control our resources,” voicing anger over what they described as unwarranted interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs.
Trump, on November 1, said he had directed the Pentagon to prepare military options to confront terrorist groups in Nigeria and protect Christian communities. He warned that Washington would suspend aid to Nigeria and “go into that now disgraced country, guns-a-blazing,” if the government failed to act.
The Nigerian government swiftly dismissed the accusations. Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar stated that claims of religious persecution were “false and impossible at any level—federal, regional, or local.”
Nigeria continues to face complex security challenges involving Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), armed bandits, ethnic militias such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and persistent herder-farmer clashes driven by economic and social factors.
