Donald Trump’s threats to cut aid and launch military strikes against Nigeria over alleged ‘Christian genocide’, while resonating with US evangelicals, might misrepresent and oversimplify the country’s complex crisis. Nigeria’s conflicts, spanning insurgency, banditry, and communal clashes, are not purely religious but deeply rooted in ethnicity, identity, and government failures. Analysts warn that US intervention, whether through sanctions or drone strikes, could devastate civilians already trapped between terrorists and insecurity. History shows that ‘precision’ attacks often result in innocent casualties, worsening humanitarian crises. Arguably, Trump’s decision to freeze most foreign assistance programmes have exacerbated the problem, resulting in job losses for about 28,000 health workers and pushing vulnerable Nigerians deeper into hardship. His threats pose a dilemma for President Tinubu. If he cooperates, he might appear weak, but defying Washington might risk economic and military pain.