President Donald Trump warned Nigeria of repeated U.S. airstrikes unless attacks on Christians cease, following Christmas Day strikes against ISIS militants.
In a candid New York Times interview published early this January, Trump escalated his rhetoric on Nigeria’s security crisis, declaring that the United States stands ready to launch “many-time strikes” if the killings of Christians persist.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians it will be a many-time strike,” Trump stated bluntly, acknowledging that Muslims also fall victim to the violence but insisting, “it’s mostly Christians.”
This warning builds directly on Trump’s earlier designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” due to what he calls an “existential threat” to its Christian population.
The comments follow a high-profile U.S. military operation on Christmas Day 2025, when American forces unleashed more than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles from a Navy ship in the Gulf of Guinea, targeting two ISIS-linked camps in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto State.
Trump hailed the strikes as a decisive blow against “ISIS Terrorist Scum” who he accused of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries.”
U.S. Africa Command confirmed that the precision attack, coordinated with Nigerian forces, eliminated multiple terrorists while minimizing civilian risks.
Trump deliberately timed the operation for Christmas, dubbing it a symbolic “Christmas present” to underscore his commitment to protecting religious minorities.
However, Nigerian officials pushed back firmly against Trump’s framing.
Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar emphasized that the strikes formed part of a “joint operation” approved by President Bola Tinubu, with Nigerian intelligence playing a key role, and insisted the action bore “nothing to do with a particular religion.”
A spokesperson for the foreign ministry reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding all citizens—Muslims, Christians, and those of no faith—without discrimination.
The government rejected accusations of failing to protect Christians, arguing that militants target communities indiscriminately amid broader conflicts over land, resources, and banditry.
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Meanwhile, experts and international observers highlighted the complexity of Nigeria’s violence, which has ravaged the country for over 15 years through insurgencies like Boko Haram and ISIS affiliates in the northeast, alongside criminal gangs and ethnic clashes elsewhere.
Organizations monitoring political violence, such as the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, report that most victims of jihadist groups are actually Muslims, challenging claims of a targeted Christian genocide.
In Sokoto, the strikes hit camps run by the Lakurawa group, a jihadist outfit with ties to ISIS in the Sahel region, but no casualty figures have emerged from either the U.S. or Nigeria.
Critics, including those on Al Jazeera’s “Inside Story,” questioned the strikes’ long-term effectiveness and potential drawbacks.
While some welcomed the intervention as a necessary counter to terrorism, others warned it could exacerbate Nigeria’s security woes by inflaming religious tensions or drawing the U.S. deeper into African conflicts.
Analysts like Ebenezer Obadare from the Council on Foreign Relations pointed to Trump’s domestic motivations, suggesting the moves appeal to his evangelical base amid U.S. politics.
Additionally, voices in Nigeria and abroad expressed concerns that oversimplifying the crisis as religious persecution ignores root causes like poverty and governance failures.
As reactions poured in on social media, supporters praised Trump for bold action, while detractors accused him of selective intervention.
One X user echoed Trump’s quote, amplifying the warning, while others urged a focus on Nigeria’s sovereignty and collective fight against extremism.
With Nigeria’s population evenly split between Muslims and Christians, the escalating U.S. involvement risks stirring domestic divisions, even as it aims to curb militant threats.
In contrast, Trump remains unapologetic, positioning the policy as part of his “America First” agenda extended to global religious freedom.
As the dust settles from the Christmas strikes, the world watches to see if this signals a new era of U.S. military engagement in Africa or a fleeting show of force.
