The contingent will reinforce a small group of US military personnel already on the ground there. Officials say the US troops will not be involved directly in combat, but their mission is to train Nigeria's military to fight Islamic militants.

"The terrorist activity in West Africa—and Nigeria specifically—is something we're incredibly concerned with," a spokesperson for US Africa Command told the Journal. "We want to partner with capable and willing partners that are able to address these shared security concerns."

***US Strikes Islamic State Group in Nigeria After Terror Attacks on Christians

President Trump has accused Nigeria's government of failing to protect Christians from terror attacks. Last November, he warned on Truth Social that the US military was ready to go into Nigeria "guns-a-blazing," arguing the country's government was allowing Christians to be slaughtered.

He 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 rejects those accusations and says both Christians and Muslims suffer at the hands of terrorist groups.

But the persecution watchdog Open Doors lists Nigeria as the seventh most dangerous country in the world for Christians.

Last year, Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, who has traveled to many dangerous areas in Nigeria, explained, "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."

In January of this year, gunmen abducted over 160 worshippers from 3 churches in Kaduna state in Nigeria from the following groups:

• The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA),
• the Cherubim and Seraphim denomination,
• and a Catholic church.

And last week, Islamic State jihadists murdered 162 people in attacks on 2 villages in the state of Kwara, Nigeria

Numerous extremist groups are operating throughout Nigeria, but they're largely jihadist groups like Boko Haram, multiple Islamic State factions, and the Fulani herdsmen, who are Muslims that typically attack Christian farmers and villages to steal their land and water.

Rep. Smith says the Nigerian government has been silent and unresponsive to the crisis. "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.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom reports that over 80% of religion-based murders around the world in 2024 occurred in Nigeria. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Devout Jew Decides to Disprove Scripture by Reading the Bible; Is 'Blown Away' by What He Finds

South Dakota Passes Prenatal Development Education Bill

How Is a Free Cuba in the National Interest of the United States?

Trump Forges Alliance With Conservative Latin American Leaders at the 'Shield of the Americas' Summit

[Video] Trump Has Highest Own-Party Approval of Any 21st Century President, CNN Survey Shows

Noem Saga Grows More Bizarre as IG Accuses DHS of Blocking Investigations, Including One Involving Butler

Trump Says Only Iran Deal He Will Accept Is 'Unconditional Surrender'

'Don't Mess With Texas': 'Overwhelming' Push Back on Sharia Law in the Lone Star State

Update on Savannah Guthrie's Plans, Investigation into Nancy's Disappearance: She 'May Already Be Gone'

Austin's Liberal DA Makes Major Call About Officers Who Shot Suspected Terrorist that Killed 3, Injured Over a Dozen

Media Ignore Arrest of 14-Year Illegal Alien with 30 Arrests in Case of Virginia Bus Stop Stabbing Murder

Poll: 57 Percent of Americans Want All Illegal Migrants Sent Home

US Supreme Court Hands Unanimous Victory to Trump Administration on Asylum Cases

Pentagon Releases Identities of 6 US Soldiers Killed in Kuwait: 'They Laid Down Their Lives'

Hegseth: Iran Regime Is 'Toast' as Israel, US Broaden Strikes

Senator Fetterman Joins GOP to Block Iran War Powers Effort

President Trump Replaces Kristi Noem at DHS with Senator Markwayne Mullin

[Watch] After Fleeing the Regime Decades Ago, She Fights for a Free Iran and Exposes 'Islamic Radicalism'

'Madam President' Melania Trump Becomes First World Leader's Spouse to Chair UN Security Council

Former Indiana Music Teacher Wins Settlement after Being Forced to Resign for Not Using Trans Pronouns