In an unprecedented late-night session on Friday, the United States Congress voted overwhelmingly to grant President Donald J. Trump authority for potential military action in Nigeria.
The resolution—passed 285 to 98 during a special joint sitting—marks one of the most significant foreign-policy decisions of Trump’s second term.
The measure authorises the President to deploy “targeted military force” against armed groups accused of systematic attacks on Christian communities across Nigeria’s northern and central regions.
Shortly after the vote, President Trump praised Congress on Truth Social, calling the violence in Nigeria “nothing short of genocide against Christians.”
He added: “HUGE WIN! Congress just voted 285–98 to let us STOP the slaughter of innocent Christians in Nigeria… The military is ready… justice will be done – fast and hard.”
The emergency bill, formally titled the Nigeria Religious Freedom Protection and Counter-Terrorism Act of 2025, cleared both chambers following three weeks of confidential intelligence briefings.
It secured votes from 232 Republicans and 53 Democrats, reflecting a rare moment of bipartisan consensus driven by frustration over years of escalating violence.
READ ALSO: Group decries ‘genocide’ in Plateau, demands eviction of armed Fulani militias
Washington lawmakers cited persistent reports of mass killings, kidnappings and torching of villages—much of it attributed to Boko Haram factions and heavily armed militia operating across the Middle Belt.
Monitoring groups, including Open Doors, have consistently ranked Nigeria as the world’s deadliest country for Christians over the past decade, with thousands of fatalities recorded annually.
The Tinubu administration in Abuja criticised the developments, calling the congressional approval “a regrettable overreach.” Nigerian officials insisted the security crisis affects citizens of all faiths and remains strictly an internal matter.
Evangelical organisations and human-rights advocates in the United States applauded the vote as overdue intervention after years of “unchecked brutality.”
However, several African and European governments expressed unease, warning that unilateral American strikes could destabilise West Africa and exacerbate existing tensions.
President Trump has ten days to sign the resolution into law. If enacted, military analysts expect the U.S. to prioritise precision airstrikes, intelligence-driven surveillance, and limited special-forces operations, rather than any large-scale ground deployment.
For many persecuted Christian communities in Nigeria, the vote is being viewed as a rare moment of hope. For the White House, it signals Trump’s determination to fulfil a central campaign promise: that the United States will take decisive action whenever Christian populations face targeted violence around the world.