Reported by: L. Imafidon | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
In a dramatic escalation of U.S. military involvement in West Africa, **U.S. President Donald Trump announced that American forces have carried out a “powerful and deadly strike” against Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) militants in northwest Nigeria. The action, unveiled on Christmas night, marks a significant moment in foreign military engagement in the country’s ongoing security crisis.
Trump, speaking from his social media platform, said that the strike was conducted “at my direction as Commander in Chief” and was aimed at militants whom he accused of targeting and killing innocent Christians in the region. The president’s message underscored his administration’s framing of the operation as a response to what he characterised as religiously motivated violence. “There would be hell to pay… and tonight, there was,” Trump wrote in his post.
Details on the specific method of attack and the scale of casualties have not been independently confirmed, with U.S. officials providing limited information beyond the president’s statement. U.S. Africa Command also referred to the strikes in posts on social media, describing actions against ISIS militants at the request of Nigerian authorities.
According to Pentagon and U.S. defence commentary, the strikes were carried out in cooperation with the Nigerian government, and involved precision targeting of extremist positions in the northwestern states, including reported hits on known ISIS strongholds. Nigeria’s foreign ministry noted that ongoing military cooperation with the United States was part of broader efforts to address common security threats.
Trump’s announcement follows weeks of heightened rhetoric from him and senior U.S. officials, who had warned that violence against Christians in Nigeria — which he characterised as at “levels not seen for many years, and even centuries” — necessitated U.S. action. The president previously announced restrictions on visas and labelled Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, citing concerns over attacks on religious communities.
The strikes took place amid a complex and longstanding security crisis in Nigeria. Extremist groups, including Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram, along with bandit militias, have for years carried out attacks that have affected both Christian and Muslim communities across northern and northeastern Nigeria. Nigerian authorities have emphasised that violence in the country reflects multiple drivers — including insurgency, communal conflict and criminality — and not solely religious persecution.
The move has triggered debate both within Nigeria and internationally. Supporters of the U.S. action argue that it demonstrates a staunch stance against terrorism and protection of vulnerable populations, while critics warn that framing the conflict with a narrow religious lens may oversimplify the situation and risk inflaming tensions. Nigerian officials have reiterated that their military operations continue to focus on protecting all civilians and that violence affects people across faiths.
As of this report, neither official casualty figures from the strikes nor detailed operational assessments have been publicly released by U.S. or Nigerian authorities. Analysts say the implications for Nigeria’s sovereignty, regional security cooperation, and the broader fight against extremism will be closely scrutinised in the coming days and weeks.
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