By Ginika Igboke
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Dec. 25 that the United States carried out a “powerful and deadly strike” against the ISIS terrorist group in northwest Nigeria.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said the targeted militants had been “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries.” He said he had previously warned the group to halt the killings, adding that the Christmas night strike followed their failure to do so.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing,” Trump wrote. “Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper.”
He concluded by blessing the U.S. military and wishing a Merry Christmas, warning that further attacks would follow if the violence against Christians continued.
Trump had earlier highlighted the situation of Christians in Nigeria in a Nov. 5 video address and later suggested that the United States could consider military intervention. His administration has designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, a status that can lead to sanctions. Earlier this month, the State Department announced visa restrictions for Nigerians involved in mass killings and violence against Christians.
Nigerian officials have rejected claims of widespread persecution of Christians, arguing that Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa target people of all faiths. Authorities have also pushed back against Trump’s suggestions of possible U.S. military intervention.
A Pentagon spokesperson said the Nigerian government approved the strikes, adding that the operation was carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
The United States first designated Nigeria a CPC in 2020, citing escalating ethno-religious violence driven by jihadist groups such as Boko Haram. That designation was lifted the following year. Human rights organizations renewed calls in 2025 for Nigeria to be redesignated after reporting a spike in violence against Christians in the first half of the year.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with about 214 million people, has large Christian and Muslim populations. According to Pew Research, it is among seven countries worldwide with very high levels of social hostilities involving religion. As of 2020, Pew estimated that 56.1 percent of Nigerians were Muslim and 43.4 percent were Christian.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has found Nigerian society to be deeply religious, with persistent violence in the Middle Belt region. Armed groups have burned churches, abducted individuals, and carried out executions based on religious identity, actions the commission said point to efforts to “Islamize the region and eradicate Christians.”
Trump said the militant group ignored repeated warnings, leading to the Christmas night strike.
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