United States President, Donald Trump, announced on Thursday that he had authorized a lethal military operation targeting Islamic State militants in Nigeria, accusing the group of carrying out attacks against Christians in the country.
Writing on social media, Trump said he ordered a “powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” alleging the extremists had been responsible for the killing of innocent Christians.
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that airstrikes were carried out in Sokoto State, near Nigeria’s border with Niger, noting that the operation was conducted “in coordination with Nigerian authorities.” According to an initial assessment by AFRICOM, “multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the ISIS camps.”
In a separate post on X on Thursday, which was later removed,AFRICOM stated that the strike was carried out at the request of the Nigerian government.
CNN said it has contacted both AFRICOM and the White House for further clarification.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a separate social media post, expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s role, saying he was “grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation.”
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed collaboration with the United States on airstrikes against what it described as “terrorist targets,” while reiterating Nigeria’s resolve to protect the rights of all citizens regardless of religion or ethnicity.
An image released by the US Department of Defense showed footage of the strike referenced by Trump, which he described as an attack on “ISIS Terrorist Scum,” carried out on Thursday, December 25.
Reacting to the development, Daniel Bwala, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu, told CNN, “The US and Nigeria are on the same page in the fight against terrorism.”
Trump, who is spending the Christmas holiday at his Palm Beach estate, used strong language in a Truth Social post to justify the operation. “I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” he wrote. “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”
He added, “Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
Over recent months, Trump has repeatedly highlighted the situation of Christians in Nigeria.
In November, he urged his defense secretary to “prepare for possible action” and warned that the United States could intervene forcefully, saying it would enter Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” if attacks on Christians continued.
On Christmas Eve, President Tinubu issued a goodwill message to Christians in Nigeria and around the world, calling for peace and religious harmony. “I stand committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence,” Tinubu said in a post on X.
Nigeria has long faced complex security challenges fueled by a mix of factors, including extremist violence, communal and ethnic conflicts, and disputes between farmers and herders over scarce natural resources.
Earlier in the year, Trump accused Nigeria of failing to protect religious freedom, claiming that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria.” He designated the country a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, a label applied to nations accused of tolerating “systematic, ongoing, (and) egregious violations of religious freedom.”
Security analysts note that both Christians and Muslims, Nigeria’s two largest religious communities in a nation of more than 230 million people, have been victims of attacks by extremist groups.
The issue has drawn significant attention among American conservatives, with several of Trump’s allies, including Senator Ted Cruz, recently calling for US action and accusing Nigeria’s government of failing to adequately protect Christians.
Although Trump has often portrayed himself as a global peacemaker and promised to reduce US military engagements abroad, his return to office has seen a more assertive posture, including strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and a major military buildup near Venezuela, accompanied by threats of possible action there.
