Senior American military officials have cautioned that President Donald Trump’s directive to the Pentagon to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria may not succeed in ending the country’s long-standing insurgency.

According to them, Nigeria’s security crisis is deeply complex — driven by ethnic tensions, poverty, corruption, and weak governance — making it resistant to purely military solutions.

One official reportedly said, “You can’t bomb ideology or poverty. Without addressing the root causes, any foreign intervention risks becoming another endless mission.”

The statement comes amid rising global attention on Nigeria’s security situation following Trump’s declaration placing the country on the list of nations “of particular concern.”