US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he had ordered what he described as “powerful” military strikes against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria, referring to the militants as “terrorist scum” and accusing them of targeting Christian communities in the region.
The announcement follows repeated warnings from Trump in October and November, when he cautioned that Christians in Nigeria were facing what he called an “existential threat”, describing the violence as amounting to genocide if left unaddressed.
Trump says strikes hit ISIS ‘scum’ attacking Christians
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the strikes were aimed at militants responsible for what he described as brutal and targeted killings.
According to the president, the operations focused on fighters who had been “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians”. He said the action followed earlier warnings issued directly to extremist groups.
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump wrote. He added that the Department of War carried out “numerous perfect strikes”, claiming the mission demonstrated US military capabilities.
Trump also reiterated his broader stance on extremism, saying he would “not allow radical Islamic terrorism to prosper” under his leadership.
Nigeria confirms strikes carried out under US cooperation
Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry later confirmed that the strikes were conducted as part of ongoing security cooperation between Abuja and Washington. Officials said the partnership includes intelligence sharing and strategic coordination to counter militant groups operating in the country.
In a post on X, the ministry said the strikes were part of joint efforts to tackle the “threat of terrorism and violent extremism”. It added that terrorist violence directed at Christians, Muslims or any other community remains “an affront” to Nigeria’s values.
.@POTUS “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched 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… pic.twitter.com/ct7rUW128t
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) December 26, 2025
US defence secretary thanks Nigeria for support
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also acknowledged Nigeria’s role, thanking the government for its cooperation in a post on X. He said the president had been clear in recent weeks that the killing of innocent Christians must stop.
“The Department of War is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight, on Christmas. More to come,” Hegseth wrote.
The Pentagon later shared a video showing at least one projectile being launched from a warship, though it did not release further operational details.
Trump had warned of military action earlier
The strikes came after months of increasingly strong rhetoric from Trump. In a Truth Social post in November, he called for action against what he described as the “slaughter” in Nigeria and warned of military intervention if the violence continued.
At the time, Nigerian leaders pushed back against Trump’s characterisation. President Bola Ahmed said Nigeria’s constitution guarantees protection for citizens of all faiths.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” he said, while also reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to working with the US to protect all religious communities.
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with its population broadly divided between Muslims, who live primarily in the north, and Christians, who are more concentrated in the south. Militant violence in parts of the country has long intensified tensions, raising difficult questions about security, faith and national unity.
