6.11.2025
US President Donald Trump may not be kidding with his threat to thrash terror gangs “killing Christians” in Nigeria as the US military has drawn up plans and options of attack.
According to the New York Times report, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) has drawn up three escalatory plans for Nigeria. They include light, medium, and heavy options, which has been submitted to the Pentagon.
Last weekend President Trump has warned his Nigeria counterpart President Bola Tinubu to step up and end the killings, otherwise he would be stepping in.
According to the officials, the light option would involve “partner-enabled” operations, with the US military and State Department supporting Nigerian forces against Boko Haram and other militant groups.
The medium option envisions drone strikes on militant camps and convoys, though US forces no longer have nearby bases in neighboring Niger and would face logistical and diplomatic challenges.
The heavy option would deploy an aircraft carrier group and long-range strike assets, but officials said such a move is not currently a US national security priority.
However, military analysts have ruled out the US engaging in a long-drawn conflict with the insurgent elements in Nigeria.
“It would be a fiasco,” retired Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton said, adding that neither the public nor President Trump, beyond social media posts, appears interested in a large-scale ground war in Nigeria, and any US airstrikes would likely cause little more than shock, which he likened to “pounding a pillow.”