US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had ordered strong military strikes on ISIS positions in north-west Nigeria. He described the group as “terrorist scum” and claimed its fighters had been attacking Christians in the region.
The strikes followed Trump’s earlier warnings in October and November, when he said Nigeria’s Christian community was facing an “existential threat” that amounted to “genocide.” He had cautioned that the United States could step in militarily if the violence continued.
Trump says strikes targeted militants killing Christians
Trump said the attacks were aimed at militants who had been targeting and “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians”.
In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: “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. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”
He also said that under his leadership, he would “not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper”.
Nigeria confirms cooperation with the US
Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that the strikes were part of ongoing security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States. This cooperation includes intelligence sharing and joint planning to deal with militant groups.
In a post on X, the ministry said the action was taken as part of efforts to counter the “threat of terrorism and violent extremism”. It also added that violence against Christians, Muslims, or any other group is “an affront” to Nigeria’s values.
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US Defence Secretary thanks Nigeria
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked the Nigerian government for its support and cooperation in carrying out the strikes. He said the “President was clear last month” that the killing of innocent Christians must stop.
“The Department of War is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas. More to come,” Hegseth wrote on X.
The Pentagon also released a video showing at least one missile being launched from a warship during the operation.
Earlier warnings and Nigeria’s response
In a Truth Social post in November, Trump had demanded action against what he called the “slaughter” in Nigeria and warned of military action if it did not end.
Nigeria had earlier rejected Trump’s claims. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said the country’s constitution protects people of all religions. “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” he said, while also confirming Nigeria’s willingness to work with the US to protect all faiths.
Nigeria’s population is almost evenly divided, with Muslims mainly living in the north and Christians largely in the south.
