United States President, Donald Trump, has issued a stark warning that the United States could launch additional military strikes in Nigeria if attacks on Christian communities persist, intensifying an already sensitive diplomatic and security dispute between Washington and Abuja.
In an interview reported by The New York Times, Trump was asked whether the U.S. missile strikes carried out on Christmas Day against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in northwest Nigeria represented the start of a broader military campaign. Trump responded that he “would love to make it a one-time strike” but insisted that “if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”
This signals a possible expansion of U.S. involvement beyond the December operation, which Washington and Nigerian authorities described as a joint action against extremist targets following a request from Nigeria’s government. The strikes targeted ISIS affiliates in Sokoto State and were presented by U.S. defence officials as precision hits designed to degrade the militants’ capacity to conduct attacks.
Trump acknowledged that Muslims are also being killed in Nigeria’s long-running security crisis, but maintained that “it’s mostly Christians” who are the victims. This assertion contrasts with statements from some of his own advisers, as well as the position of the Nigerian Government, who have pointed out that militant groups such as Boko Haram and ISIS have killed significant numbers of Muslims as well as Christians across different parts of the country’s volatile regions.
The Nigerian government has rejected claims of targeted persecution of Christians, insisting that violence by insurgent groups does not discriminate on religious lines. Authorities have stressed that terrorist violence affects all communities and that cooperation with the United States on counter-terrorism efforts is based on mutual objectives rather than religion. They have repeatedly rejected the narrative of systematic attacks on Christians alone.
The Christmas Day strike was followed by the resumption of U.S. intelligence and aerial surveillance operations over Nigerian territory, indicating deeper military cooperation.
Nigeria has had a long-standing struggle with armed insurgency, banditry, and communal violence. Islamist militant groups have operated in the country’s northern and central regions for well over a decade, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions. These factions have targeted villages, security forces, religious leaders, and civilians across diverse communities.
The Nigerian government has continuously emphasised and reiterated its commitment to addressing security challenges across all faiths and regions of the country, and has called for international partnership grounded in respect for national sovereignty and Nigeria’s constitutional protections for freedom of belief.
Samuel Aina