Trump warns of potential additional U.S. military strikes in Nigeria over attacks on Christians
President Donald Trump has warned that the United States may carry out additional military strikes in Nigeria if attacks on Christians continue, despite Nigerian officials insisting there is no systematic persecution of the religious group. The warning came during an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday.
The comments follow a U.S. military strike on Christmas Day targeting Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria, which the Nigerian government described as a joint operation against terrorists with “nothing to do with a particular religion.” Trump said he hoped the strike could be a one-time action but added that further attacks could occur if Christians continued to be targeted.
When asked about remarks from his Africa adviser, who noted that both Muslims and Christians were being killed by militant groups, Trump acknowledged that Muslims were also victims but insisted that Christians were the primary targets. He previously described Christianity in Nigeria as facing an “existential threat” and threatened U.S. intervention if the Nigerian government failed to act.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with over 230 million people, has a roughly even religious split, with Christians mostly in the south and Muslims concentrated in the north. The country continues to struggle with insurgency, banditry, and kidn+ppings, particularly in northern regions.
Nigerian authorities have repeatedly rejected claims that Christians are being singled out, emphasizing that extremist violence affects both Muslims and Christians and is driven by terrorism and criminality rather than religion. Officials have said they remain willing to cooperate with Washington in combating militants, but object to language suggesting religiously targeted attacks.