FACT-CHECK: No Evidence Donald Trump Said the U.S. Could Capture President Tinubu in 24 Hours

BY: Mustapha Lawal

Claim: 

A viral Facebook report claims U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States military could “capture Nigerian President Bola Tinubu within 24 hours , without his guards knowing.”

Verdict: 

False! There is no evidence Donald Trump made this statement. The claim appears only in misleading social media posts and unverified blogs, not in any credible publication or on Trump’s official channels.

Full Text: 

In early November 2025, a viral “breaking news” headline circulated widely on Facebook and WhatsApp alleging that the United States President Donald Trump issued a direct threat to Nigeria’s president. 

The posts quote Trump as saying, “If America wants to capture the Nigerian president, we can do it within a day, and even his closest guards won’t know.” The report further claims Trump referenced a secret U.S. military operation in Nigeria five years ago as supposed proof of American capability.

The claim spread shortly after Trump described Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged killings of Christians, a statement that had already generated widespread debate. Some of Trump’s verified posts on Truth Social accused the Nigerian government of allowing “Christian genocide” and threatened U.S. military intervention against “Islamic terrorists”.

Nigeria’s presidency responded by rejecting Trump’s assertions, stressing that terrorism affects Muslims, Christians, and other groups alike.

The claim also appears in multiple instances (such as here, here, here, here, here, here, and here). But did the US president warn that US troops could capture the Nigerian president, Tinubu, in 24 hours? We verified .

Verification: 

FactCheckAfrica conducted a keyword search and verification of the claim but found no credible news source/platform that reported the claim. Trump’s comments about religious freedom in Nigeria received extensive international coverage.

However, no reputable Nigerian or international news outlet has reported that Trump threatened to capture Tinubu or made any related military threats. A claim of this magnitude, involving the president of another sovereign nation, would not go unreported if it were true.

Furthermore, FactCheckAfrica reviewed Trump’s verified Truth Social account, where all recent remarks about Nigeria were posted. We found no statement, video, press release, or transcript containing the alleged quote. The earliest instances of the claim appear on Facebook pages known for sensational content. No official U.S. government website, spokesperson, or press briefing has referenced such a statement.

Moreover, the link attached to the post to read the full statement is a dangerous and malicious one. According to Microsoft Defender Firewall, the site has been reported for scam activities. “It has been reported to Microsoft for containing misleading content that could lead you to lose personal info, financial data, and even money” the disclaimer says.

We also notice that the claim posts follow a common misinformation pattern: fabricate a quote, attach it to a high-profile political figure and link it to an ongoing controversy (in this case, Trump’s comments on Nigeria’s religious freedom situation). But with no supporting evidence.

Conclusion:

The claim that Donald Trump said the United States could “capture President Bola Tinubu within 24 hours” is false. It is not supported by any official communication, appears nowhere on Trump’s verified platforms, and has not been reported by credible media. The viral report is another example of fabricated political quotes circulating on social media to inflame public sentiment.