US lawmaker faults Trump over Nigeria threat, says Congress has not authorised force

Sara Jacobs, United States house of representatives member, has warned that Congress has not approved any American military action in Nigeria, describing President Donald Trump’s recent threat to deploy United States troops as dangerous and unlawful.

According to The Cable, Jacobs issued the warning on Thursday during a congressional hearing in Washington DC on allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria. She said Trump’s insistence that the United States could go into Nigeria “guns a blazing” to wipe out what he called Islamic terrorists was based on a misleading view of the country’s security crisis.

The Democrat, who represents California’s 51st Congressional District, including San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lemon Grove, said attributing the violence in Nigeria solely to a religious crisis does not capture the full picture.

“President Trump’s threat is reckless, and any unilateral military action in Nigeria is illegal. Congress has not authorised force in Nigeria to protect Christians,” she said.

Jacobs, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa, added that the violence affects both Christians and Muslims.

The Christian persecution narrative had influenced Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern.” But Jacobs said framing Nigeria’s violence as a purely religious conflict ignores the deeper political, economic and social drivers behind the unrest.

“Distorting what is happening into a solely religious narrative erases the real drivers of violence and makes it harder to implement effective solutions. It can fuel violence against the very groups the Trump administration claims it wants to protect,” she said, as reported by The Cable.

She added that Trump’s rhetoric was already having consequences. “We are receiving reports of increased tensions between Christian and Muslim populations following this rhetoric,” she said.

Jacobs stressed that Trump has no authority to deploy United States troops to Nigeria without congressional approval or Nigeria’s consent. “President Trump’s threat is reckless and any unilateral military action in Nigeria would be illegal. Congress has not authorised force in Nigeria to protect Christians, and any action without Nigeria’s consent violates international law,” she said.

The congresswoman also warned that a military heavy response would likely worsen the situation. According to The Cable, she said a force first approach risks more civilian casualties, feeds impunity and strengthens violent extremists rather than weakening them.

Jacobs urged the United States government to adopt a more comprehensive strategy anchored in diplomacy, partnership and long term reforms. “We need to use more tools from our foreign policy toolbox if we are serious about helping Nigeria protect its citizens,” she said. “That means engaging with Nigeria on how we can support their response while pushing for important reforms within their institutions.”

She added that the United States must invest in programmes that prevent violence and address the conditions that fuel conflict, saying sustainable peace cannot be achieved through threats or military posturing.