On Dec. 25, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a series of airstrikes against ISIS militants located in northern Nigeria.
For weeks, Trump had condemned Nigeria for what he described as the government’s tolerance of a Christian genocide occurring in parts of the country. He claimed Christians were facing persecution nationwide. In September, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz pushed for sanctions against Nigerian officials who he said “facilitate violence against Christians and other religious minorities, including by Islamist terrorist groups.”
Shortly after Trump labeled Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act, following weeks of lobbying by American lawmakers and conservative Christian groups, he ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action.
To this effect, NSA Nuhu Ribadu met with a US delegation in Abuja to further discuss the issue of terrorism and christian genocide.The meeting was a continuation of the terrorist discussion that took place in Washington DC.
In attendance was US Ambassador Richard Mills who revealed that both nations need cooperation to combat attacks. According to Ribadu, the aim of the meeting was to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation, promote regional stability, and strengthen the broader security partnership between Abuja and Washington.
Following these persisting claims, the president announced strikes targeting Islamic State militants operating in Sokoto State.
“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 even centuries,” Trump said in a statement. “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 added that the strikes were executed by the Department of Defense and warned that further action would follow if attacks continued.
According to the president, the strikes were aimed at Islamic State militants who had been “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
A Defense Department official told The Associated Press that the United States worked with Nigeria to carry out the strikes and that the operation was approved by the Nigerian government.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigerian authorities confirmed that the Nigerian military collaborated with U.S. forces in the counterterrorism operation.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria confirms that Nigerian authorities remain engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America, in addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism,” the statement read. “This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by airstrikes in the northwest.”
The ministry added that the cooperation involved intelligence sharing, strategic coordination and other support consistent with international law and respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“Nigeria reiterates that all counterterrorism efforts are guided by the primacy of protecting civilian lives, safeguarding national unity, and upholding the rights and dignity of all citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity,” the statement said. “Terrorist violence in any form, whether directed at Christians, Muslims or other communities, remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security.”
The statement was signed by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and dated Friday, Dec. 26, 2025.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, later explained that the strikes were not targeted at any religion and were carried out using intelligence provided by Nigerian military sources.
The airstrikes mark a significant escalation in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and signal deeper military cooperation with the United States. While some see the action as a long-awaited response to rising insecurity in the north, others remain cautious about its long-term impact.
Whether the strikes will weaken terrorist networks or further inflame tensions remains to be seen, but the operation has undeniably shifted the trajectory of counterterrorism efforts in the region.
