United States President Donald Trump has indicated that there could be additional military strikes by the US in Nigeria if violence against Christians persists, even as the Nigerian federal government denies any systematic persecution of Christians in the country.
Trump made the remarks during an interview with *The New York Times*, published on the newspaper’s website last Thursday.
The comments were in response to questions about the US military’s Christmas Day airstrike in northwest Nigeria. According to the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), the operation targeted Islamic State militants and was conducted in collaboration with Nigerian authorities.
Nigeria described the strike as a “joint operation” against terrorists, emphasizing it was “not directed at any particular religion.” Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, reiterated that the airstrikes were carried out with Nigeria’s full approval, cooperation, and intelligence support, denying any violation of national sovereignty or religious targeting.
In the interview, Trump was quoted saying, “I’d love to make it a one-time strike … But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”
When pressed about remarks from his Africa adviser that militants from Islamic State and Boko Haram are killing more Muslims than Christians, Trump responded: “I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians.”
Meanwhile, US Congressman Riley Moore, who revealed that the US military fired 12 Tomahawk missiles against ISIS fighters in Nigeria, described the strikes as the start of a broader military campaign. He affirmed that further actions would follow in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Trump had earlier, in late October, warned that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria and threatened US military intervention over what he described as Nigeria’s failure to curb violence against Christian communities.
The Nigerian government has consistently denied these allegations, stressing that the security challenges affect both Christians and Muslims without religious bias.
Following strategic discussions between Nigerian officials, led by National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and US counterparts, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the American military “is working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists.”
(Reuters)
