US Congresswoman Sara Jacobs Condemns Trump’s Military Threat to Nigeria as Reckless
U.S. Representative Sara Jacobs has strongly criticized former President Donald Trump’s threat to use military force in Nigeria, calling it “reckless” and legally unfounded.
Jacobs, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and is the ranking member of its Africa Subcommittee, made her remarks during a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. The session was centered on Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for religious freedom violations.
She argued that framing Nigeria’s deep-seated violence purely as a religious conflict, specifically, a Christian genocide, oversimplifies the country’s complex security problems. “Distorting what’s happening into a solely religious narrative erases the real drivers of violence,” she warned, noting that both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria suffer from insecurity.
Jacobs directly challenged Trump’s statements that the U.S. military could enter Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to eliminate so-called “Islamic terrorists.” She emphasized that such a unilateral military intervention would be illegal under U.S. law: Congress has not authorized the use of force in Nigeria, and deploying troops without Nigeria’s consent would breach international law.
She also warned that this kind of aggressive rhetoric could inflame sectarian tensions. According to her, there are already reports of growing friction between Christian and Muslim communities following Trump’s comments.
Rather than resorting to military action, Jacobs called for a more balanced U.S. foreign-policy strategy. She urged the use of diplomacy, development aid, and institution-building to address Nigeria’s systemic issues. She highlighted the importance of funding programs that tackle the root causes of violence, warning that a force-first approach risks civilian casualties and could strengthen, rather than weaken, extremist groups.