Trump says there ‘could be’ US troops on the ground in Nigeria, or air strikes
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A newspaper with an article reporting US President Donald Trump's message to Nigeria over the treatment of Christians in Ojuelegba, Nigeria, on Nov 2.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE - US President Donald Trump said on Nov 2 the US military could deploy troops to Nigeria or carry out air strikes to stop what he called the killing of large numbers of Christians in the West African country.
Asked if he envisioned troops on the ground or air strikes in Nigeria, Mr Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: "Could be. I mean, other things. I envisage a lot of things. They're killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria... They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We're not going to allow that to happen."
Mr Trump made the comment on the evening of Nov 2 as he headed back to Washington after a weekend at his vacation home in Florida.
Mr Trump threatened on Nov 1 to take military action against Nigeria
The US president's threat of military action came a day after his administration added Nigeria back to a "Countries of Particular Concern" list of nations that the US says have violated religious freedoms.
Other nations on the list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan. REUTERS
