A United States congressman, Riley Moore, has claimed that US military airstrikes carried out on Christmas Day helped prevent attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria during the 2025 yuletide season.
Moore made the assertion in a post on X on Saturday, where he compared previous deadly Christmas attacks in Nigeria with what he described as a shift in response this year, targeting Islamist militant groups instead.
According to the lawmaker, Christians were killed during Christmas celebrations in Nigeria over the past two years, but this year saw coordinated military action against extremist groups.
“For the past two Christmases, Christians have been murdered in Nigeria,” Moore wrote. “This year, thanks to the President, radical Islamic terrorists were on the receiving end of 12 Tomahawk missiles instead.”
He added that the strikes, which he said were carried out against Islamic State fighters in coordination with the Nigerian government, marked an initial step toward improving security in the country.
“The successful strikes on ISIS, in coordination with the Nigerian government, are just the first step to secure the country and end the slaughter of our brothers and sisters in Christ,” Moore stated.
The comments followed an announcement by US President Donald Trump, who disclosed on Thursday that American forces had conducted airstrikes against Islamic State terrorists operating in northwestern Nigeria. Trump warned that further attacks would follow if militants continued targeting Christian communities.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, the president said the strikes were carried out by the Department of War and described them as “numerous and precise.”
Nigeria’s Federal Government later confirmed the airstrikes on Friday.
The development comes against the backdrop of violent Christmas attacks in recent years. On Christmas Eve in 2023, gunmen killed at least 140 people and left several others missing after coordinated assaults on remote villages in Plateau State.
Similarly, on Christmas Day in 2024, suspected herdsmen attacked five predominantly Christian villages in Benue State, killing no fewer than 33 residents.
