Presidential spokesman Daniel Bwala says it is diplomatically wrong for United States President Donald Trump to deploy American troops to Nigeria without President Bola Tinubu’s consent.

“If it’s a joint operation with Nigeria, that’s acceptable. But diplomatically, it is wrong to invade a sovereign nation without collaboration, especially one that remains a strategic partner in the fight against insecurity,” Mr Bwala told the BBC on Monday.

His comments came after Mr Trump’s order for U.S. soldiers to prepare for a potential offensive invasion of northern Nigeria over alleged Christian genocide, following weeks of a massive online campaign by top U.S. lawmakers, including Ted Cruz, Riley Moore, and Nancy Mace, among others.

The U.S. president had also announced the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) following appeals for action against what he termed the “mass slaughter” of Christians in the West African nation.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump claimed Christians in Nigeria face an “existential threat,” blaming “radical Islamists” for the killings.

Mr Bwala, however, said Nigeria remains a sovereign nation and that any foreign intervention in its internal security issues must be collaborative and respectful of its territorial integrity.

“Unilateral intervention only happens when there is evidence that a government is complicit in a crisis. That is certainly not the case in Nigeria,” he said.

The presidential spokesman also dismissed claims of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, noting that insecurity affects citizens across religious lines.

He, however, commended Mr Trump for authorising arms sales to Nigeria during his first term, describing it as a goodwill gesture.

“We are grateful to President Donald Trump because, during his first term, he approved arms sales that strengthened Nigeria’s fight against insurgency.

“In his second term, he has again shown interest in supporting the fight against Boko Haram, which we welcome—but such efforts must rely on credible intelligence, not isolated reports or social media narratives,” Mr Bwala added.

However, the U.S. president’s comments have since sparked widespread reactions locally and internationally.

The bishop of the Diocese of Owo, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Stephen Fagbemi, has advised Mr Tinubu not to wait for the intervention of the U.S. before confronting Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.

Mr Fagbemi said the outburst should serve as a wake-up call for the Nigerian government to take decisive action to end the “senseless killings” across the country.

He stated, “I don’t pray that the U.S. will have to come and intervene before the Nigerian government will be able to deal with these problems because that certainly will challenge our sovereignty.”