US hits terrorists in Nigeria after Trump warnings

By Editor

President Donald Trump said on December 25 that the US military had attacked Islamic State targets in Nigeria.

In a post on Truth Social, the president said he directed the military to launch 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 even Centuries!”

In a post on X, the U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed it had conducted a strike that killed multiple militants at the request of Nigerian authorities. The strike occurred in “Soboto state,” an apparent reference to Sokoto state, the post said.

Trump, in recent months, has made frequent references to what he called the plight of Christians in Nigeria, and his United Nations ambassador even invited pop star Nicki Minaj to address the issue at the U.N. General Assembly.

“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 continued, adding that the Pentagon conducted “numerous perfect” strikes against Islamic State targets in the region.

Nigeria has been fighting Islamic State forces in the northwest.

In a Christmas message to troops, Nigerian Air Marshal Kelvin Aneke, the air force chief of staff, had urged his forces to “not leave any stone unturned in the quest to subdue terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality within the northwest region.”

Nigeria’s foreign ministry said the strikes were carried out as part of ongoing security cooperation with the United States, involving intelligence sharing and strategic coordination to target militant groups.

“This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West,” the ministry said in a post on X.

A video posted by the Pentagon showed at least one projectile launched from a warship. A U.S. defense official said the strike targeted multiple militants at known ISIS camps.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked the Nigerian government for its support and cooperation in a post on X, adding that there was “more to come…”

“This situation for Christians in Nigeria has been reaching a breaking point,” McDowell said in a post on X. “Persecution of Christians must never stand.”

The president’s announcement comes after the U.S. military launched airstrikes on several ISIS targets in Syria on Dec. 19, following the deaths of two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter. In November, Trump had threatened possible military action in Nigeria over the alleged “killing of Christians” in the country.