By Joe Udo
ABUJA (CONVERSEER) – The United States has carried out air strikes on ISIS-linked terrorist camps in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day, targeting fighters allegedly responsible for attacks on Christian communities. The operation was ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, who announced the strikes via his Truth Social account on Thursday.
Trump described the mission as a “powerful and deadly strike” against groups he accused of “viciously killing innocent Christians” in the region. He stated that the action followed earlier warnings issued against the militants, adding that further strikes would follow if the killings continued.
Moments after the announcement, the Nigerian government confirmed the strikes through a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and shared by the Presidency. It said the operation aligned with structured security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States to combat terrorism and violent extremism.
According to the Ministry, the cooperation includes intelligence sharing, strategic coordination and operational support “consistent with international law, mutual respect for sovereignty, and shared commitments to regional and global security”. It added that precision hits on terrorist targets in the North West were part of this framework.
The Federal Government stressed that all counter-terrorism actions are guided by the protection of civilian lives, preservation of national unity and the rights and dignity of citizens regardless of ethnicity or faith. It reiterated that terrorist violence against any community remains a threat to Nigeria’s values and global peace.
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The joint security efforts follow high-level engagements in recent months. On 21 November, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu met with U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to discuss Nigeria’s security challenges. Hegseth pledged that Washington would work “aggressively” with Abuja to confront what he termed persecution of Christians by jihadist groups.
Weeks later, U.S. Congressman Riley Moore disclosed that both countries were nearing completion of a strategic security framework to counter terrorism in Nigeria, though details have not been made public. Nigeria has repeatedly rejected claims of targeted attacks against Christians, maintaining that armed groups strike both Muslim and Christian communities.
In response to escalating security pressure, President Bola Tinubu last month declared a national security emergency and directed mass recruitment into the armed forces and police to tackle rising attacks and mass abductions across several states.
