by Sharon Rondeau
(Dec. 25, 2025) — In a Truth Social post on Thursday evening, President Trump declared the U.S. military carried out strikes in northwest Nigeria as a result of Islamic terrorists Carrying out wholesale slaughter of Christians without provocation.
In early November Trump issued a warning to the Nigerian government that the U.S. would “completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists’ in the African nation if it did not move to stop the terrorists in their crusade to annihilate the Christian population.
“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 wrote at 5:59 p.m. EST. “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. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”
The warning followed Trump’s October 31 designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” regarding religious persecution.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed,” he posted on Truth Social that day. “Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a “COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN” — But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter, and report back to me. The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!”
On November 20, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met with Nigerian officials in Washington to “make tangible progress on stopping violence against Christians in Nigeria and combatting West African jihadist terrorist groups.”
“Secretary Hegseth emphasized the need for Nigeria to demonstrate commitment and take both urgent and enduring action to stop violence against Christians and conveyed the Department’s desire to work by, with, and through Nigeria to deter and degrade terrorists that threaten the United States,” the news release posted the following day continued.
As of press time, the Department of War had not yet issued a press release on the Christmas Day action in Nigeria.
At 7:04 p.m., The Hill published an article on the development with a statement from AFRICOM on X which has apparently been removed.
According to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, the government is coordinating with the United States in conducting the strikes.
Update, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025: The Department of War released unclassified video of the strikes here. A press release on the military action is posted here.
ISIS operatives in Somalia were also struck earlier this week.