The United States is preparing to send 200 troops to Nigeria to help address the threat of jihadist terrorism, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. This new deployment will supplement a small number of American military personnel already present in the country. According to U.S. Africa Command, these troops will not engage directly in combat but will focus on training Nigerian forces to counter Islamic militants.
A spokesperson for U.S. Africa Command told the Journal, “The terrorist activity in West Africa—and Nigeria specifically—is something we’re incredibly concerned with. We want to partner with capable and willing partners that are able to address these shared security concerns.”
In recent statements, former President Trump criticized Nigeria’s government for what he described as a failure to protect Christians from terrorist attacks. Last November, he posted on Truth Social about potential U.S. military intervention in Nigeria and later told a reporter, “They’re killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria, and they have other countries very bad, also. You know that. That part of the world is very bad. They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen.”
Nigeria’s president has rejected such accusations and maintains that both Christian and Muslim communities are victims of terrorist groups’ violence.
Open Doors, an organization monitoring persecution worldwide, ranks Nigeria as one of the most dangerous countries for Christians.
Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey’s 4th district—who has been serving since 1981 after replacing Frank Thompson—has traveled extensively in Nigeria and spoken out about increasing violence targeting religious groups there (https://cbn.com/news/world/us-sending-200-troops-fight-jihadist-terrorism-nigeria). Smith stated last year: “There has been an exponential increase in attacks on Christians and some Muslims, but Christians in particular, Protestants, evangelicals, Catholics—they’re firebombing their churches.”
Recent incidents include the January abduction of more than 160 worshippers from three churches in Kaduna state belonging to Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Cherubim and Seraphim denomination, and a Catholic church; as well as attacks last week by Islamic State jihadists who killed 162 people across two villages in Kwara state.
Multiple extremist organizations operate throughout Nigeria—including Boko Haram, various Islamic State factions, and Fulani herdsmen—many focusing their attacks on Christian farmers and communities.
Rep. Smith criticized Nigerian authorities for inadequate action: “The Fulani are killing them with absolute impunity. We’ve called on the government in Abuja and the president several times to do what governments do—law enforcement, use the military if you have to—but stop this genocide, and do it now,” he said.
According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, more than 80 percent of religion-based murders globally during 2024 occurred within Nigeria.
Chris Smith was born in Rahway, New Jersey in 1953; he graduated from The College of New Jersey with a BS degree in 1975 and currently resides in Manchester Township.
