President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had authorized military strikes against ISIS militants operating in northwest Nigeria, describing them as “terrorist scum” responsible for systematic attacks on Christian populations. The announcement came on Christmas Day, carrying significant symbolic meaning.
The military operation followed months of warnings from Trump, who had characterized the violence against Nigerian Christians in October and November as an “existential threat” constituting potential “genocide.” The president had explicitly threatened military intervention if the attacks on Christian communities continued, warnings that have now translated into concrete military action.
According to Trump’s statement, the strikes specifically targeted militants who had been engaged in the vicious killing of innocent Christians. The president emphasized the precision and effectiveness of the Department of War’s operations, stating that only American forces could execute such strikes. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to preventing radical Islamic terrorism from flourishing.
The Nigerian government acknowledged the strikes through its Foreign Ministry, describing them as part of established security cooperation with the United States. This partnership involves intelligence sharing and strategic coordination to combat terrorism and violent extremism in the region. Nigerian authorities emphasized that terrorist violence against any religious community, whether Christian or Muslim, contradicts the nation’s fundamental values.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Nigeria for its cooperation in enabling the strikes and suggested that additional operations might follow. He referenced Trump’s previous clear warnings about ending violence against Christians. The Pentagon released video evidence of the strikes showing weaponry being deployed from warships. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed, while cooperating on security issues, has maintained that Nigeria’s constitution protects citizens of all faiths and that characterizations of the country as religiously intolerant do not accurately represent the nation’s commitment to religious freedom.