Balance of Power

Trump’s New Line of Attack Targets Nigeria

US president claims Islamists are systematically killing Christians in the West African country.

The wreckage of a dormitory destroyed by Boko Haram fighters at the Chibok Government Girls Secondary School in Nigeria.Photographer: Laurie Churchman/AFP/Getty Images

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By Neil Munshi

November 3, 2025 at 10:59 AM UTC

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What exactly prompted Donald Trump’s military threat against Nigeria? That’s what President Bola Tinubu needs to work out as he tries to contain the fallout.