Thousands of residents marched through the streets of Kano on Saturday to denounce U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks threatening military action in Nigeria. The demonstrators dismissed Trump’s accusation of a “Christian genocide” in the country, according to local and international media outlets.
Kano State, located in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north, saw several Islamic organizations mobilize against what they described as inflammatory and unfounded statements from Washington. Protesters brandished 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, on Nov. 1, announced that he had instructed the Pentagon to explore military options targeting terrorist groups in Nigeria, claiming the move was necessary to safeguard Christian communities. He warned that the United States would cut off aid if Abuja “continues to allow the killing of Christians,” adding that U.S. forces could intervene “guns-a-blazing” in what he called a “now disgraced country.”
Nigerian authorities swiftly rejected the allegations. Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar stated that claims of religious persecution endorsed by the government were “impossible” at any level — federal, regional, or local.
Nigeria continues to battle complex security challenges involving extremist organizations such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, alongside armed criminal groups, ethnic militias like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and persistent clashes between herders and farmers driven by economic pressures.
