US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he ordered a lethal military strike against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists operating in Nigeria, accusing the group of targeting and killing Christians.
In a social media post, Trump said he authorized a “powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” alleging that the group had been responsible for the deaths of innocent Christians.
According to the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), the strikes were carried out in Sokoto State, which lies along Nigeria’s northern border with Niger. The operation was conducted “in coordination with Nigerian authorities,” AFRICOM said, adding that its initial assessment indicated that “multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the ISIS camps.”
In a separate statement posted on X on Thursday which was later deleted, AFRICOM stated that the operation was conducted at the request of Nigerian authorities. CNN has contacted both AFRICOM and the White House for further clarification.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also commented on the operation, saying he was “grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation.”
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed collaboration with the United States on airstrikes targeting terrorist locations. The ministry reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to protecting the rights of all citizens, “irrespective of faith or ethnicity.”
Daniel Bwala, a special adviser to Nigerian 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, reinforced his stance in a Truth Social post Thursday evening.
“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,” Trump 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.”
For several months, Trump has emphasized the situation of Christians in Nigeria. In November, he called on his secretary of defense to “prepare for possible action” and warned that the US would enter Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” if necessary to protect Christian communities in Africa’s most populous nation.
Security analysts believe the strikes may have targeted Lakurawa, a lesser-known extremist group active in Nigeria’s northwestern region. Reuters reports that Lakurawa has grown increasingly violent this year, frequently attacking remote villages and security forces while operating from forested areas between states.
On Christmas Eve, President Tinubu issued a “Christmas Goodwill Message,” extending holiday wishes to Christians in Nigeria and around the world, and calling for unity and peace among people of different religious beliefs.
“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 faced persistent security challenges for years, driven by a mix of religious extremism, communal and ethnic conflicts, and disputes between farmers and herders over scarce natural resources.
Earlier this year, Trump accused Nigeria of violating religious freedom, stating 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 classification used when a government is found to have tolerated or engaged in “systematic, ongoing, (and) egregious violations of religious freedom.”
Analysts note that both Christians and Muslims, the country’s two largest religious groups within its population of over 230 million have been victims of attacks by radical Islamist groups.
Concerns over the safety of Nigerian Christians have long resonated with American conservatives. Several of Trump’s allies, including Senator Ted Cruz, have recently urged US intervention, arguing that Nigeria’s government has not done enough to prevent attacks.
Although Trump has often described himself as a peacemaker and pledged to reduce US military involvement abroad, he has since authorized strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and overseen a significant military buildup near Venezuela, alongside threats of possible ground action.
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