Nigeria, Nov. 7 -- Since week, President Donald Trump has intensified his rhetoric on Christian persecution in Nigeria, warning the Nigerian government to act swiftly against the growing insurgency. He even directed the Department of War to prepare for possible military action, boasting that any U.S. strike would be "fast, vicious, and sweet."

The announcement sent shockwaves across Nigeria. Depending on who you ask, the reaction ranged from jubilation to dread. Many Northern Nigerian Christians, long victims of Islamic insurgency and herder violence, felt a flicker of relief. Finally, it seemed, someone powerful was listening to their cry. But for others, particularly many Muslims, the rhetoric sounded troublingly simplistic and dangero...