US targets Islamic State in Nigeria following Trump warns – President Donald Trump stated on Dec. 25 that the U.S. military had bombed Islamic State sites in Nigeria, saying the group had been targeting Christians in the region.
In a statement on Truth Social, the president stated he instructed the military to undertake a “powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” US targets Islamic State in Nigeria following Trump warns
In a post on X, the U.S. military’s Africa Command said it had launched a strike that killed many militants at the request of Nigerian authorities. The strike occurred in “Soboto state,” an apparent allusion to Sokoto state, the tweet added. Nigeria has been fighting Islamic State fighters in the northwest.
In a Christmas greeting to troops, Nigerian Air Marshal Kelvin Aneke, the air force chief of staff, had encouraged his forces to “not leave any stone unturned in the quest to conquer terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality inside the northwest region,” local Channels TV said. US targets Islamic State in Nigeria following Trump warns
Nigeria’s foreign ministry said the strikes were carried out as part of continuous security cooperation with the United States, comprising intelligence sharing and strategic coordination to target extremist organizations. “This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West,” the ministry stated in a post on X. A video supplied by the Pentagon showed at least one rocket launched from a warship.
A U.S. defense official said the strike targeted many militants at recognized ISIS sites. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commended the Nigerian government for its assistance and cooperation in a post on X, adding that there was “more to come…”.
Rep. Addison McDowell, R-N.C., said he was “thankful for President Trump’s strong action this Christmas.” This situation for Christians in Nigeria has been reaching a breaking point,” McDowell remarked in a post on X. “Persecution of Christians must never stand.” The president’s declaration comes after the U.S. military started airstrikes on numerous ISIS locations in Syria on Dec. 19, following the deaths of two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter. In November, Trump had threatened probable military action in Nigeria over the alleged “killing of Christians” in the country.
Trump earlier warned Nigeria of military strikes
In early November, Trump said in a Truth Social post that he asked the Pentagon to “prepare for possible action” in Nigeria after he argued that Nigeria’s government was not doing enough to protect Christians in the country. The president threatened to immediately cease all aid and support to Nigeria. At the time, he stated that the U.S.
military may move into Nigeria with “guns-a-blazing” to “completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.” “If we attack, it will be swift, brutal, and sweet, much way the terrorist thugs assault our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!” Trump said in his post.
Trump’s warning came after he accused Nigeria of religious freedom violations on Oct. 31, saying that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” subsequently designating the nation as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, CNN and the Associated Press reported. Trump’s charges have been bolstered by Minaj, who is using her profile to engage with UN envoy Mike Waltz on the abuse of Christians in Nigeria. Minaj joined Waltz on Nov. 18 to speak about the bloodshed in the country. US targets Islamic State in Nigeria following Trump warns
‘A huge exaggeration’: Nigerian government dismissed Trump’s accusations
Following Trump’s designation, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said on Nov. 1 that the characterization of Nigeria as “religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.” Tinubu stated that the Nigerian government is “committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on [the] protection of communities of all faiths.”
Nigeria’s government has warned armed organizations target both Muslims and Christians. The government says assertions that Christians endure persecution distort a complex security environment and do not take into consideration efforts to defend religious freedom. In response to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who condemned the “slaughter of thousands of Christians,” Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s press secretary, called the characterization “a gross exaggeration of the Nigerian situation,” adding that “Christians, Muslims, churches and mosques are attacked randomly.”
Surge in violence in Nigeria
The country’s population is split between Muslims residing largely in the north and Christians in the south. Most insurgent attacks have taken place in the northern region. Over the past 15 years, Boko Haram − an extremist Islamist armed group − has plagued northeastern Nigeria, killing tens of thousands of people. Human rights experts have suggested more Muslims have been killed by Boko Haram than Christians, according to Reuters.
“Religious violence in Nigeria is typically a hybrid of ethno-political and economic concerns,” according to a University of Notre Dame investigation on the persecution of Christians. “Even the motivations of the militant Muslim terrorist group Boko Haram could be characterized as mainly mired in economic and ethno-political disputes.” US targets Islamic State in Nigeria following Trump warns
Violence in Nigeria worsened in 2025, with attacks by rebels including al-Qaeda branch Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) reported in November that the spike in militant attacks has threatened instability across northern Nigeria and is “driving hunger to levels never seen before.” “The advance of insurgency presents a serious threat to stability in the north, with consequences reaching beyond Nigeria,” David Stevenson, WFP Nigeria country director, said in a statement. “Communities are under severe pressure from repeated attacks and economic stress.”
Recent occurrences have emphasized the crisis, according to the WFP. In November, incidents included Islamic State fighters killing a brigadier-general in the northeast and attacks on public institutions in the north. Armed gunmen abducted more than 300 Catholic school pupils days after assaulting a public school, killing a deputy head teacher and kidnapping 25 schoolgirls, Reuters reported. On Christmas Eve, five people were killed and 35 injured in a suicide bombing targeting a mosque during evening prayers in the town of Maiduguri, in Nigeria’s Borno State, that officials linked to the Boko Haram insurgent group. US targets Islamic State in Nigeria following Trump warns
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