U.S. President Donald Trump has hinted that Washington could launch additional military strikes in Nigeria if what he describes as ongoing attacks on Christians in the country do not stop.
In an interview with The New York Times, Trump was asked whether the Christmas Day missile strikes against Islamic State militants marked the start of a wider campaign. The strikes followed Trump’s earlier declaration that the U.S. might send troops into Nigeria “guns a-blazing” to confront groups he accused of “killing our cherished Christians,” echoing claims from some U.S. lawmakers who have labelled the violence in Nigeria a genocide against Christians.
The Nigerian government, however, has played down the strikes, framing the Christmas operation as an isolated incident. Ademola Oshodi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, made clear it was not the beginning of a sustained campaign.
But Trump left open the possibility of more action. “I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” he told the Times. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”
Nigeria has consistently rejected claims that Christians are being specifically targeted. Last October, Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, pointed out that extremist groups like Boko Haram and ISIS have caused more deaths among Muslims than Christians in Nigeria. When questioned about that assessment, Trump acknowledged that Muslims are also being killed, but maintained, “it’s mostly Christians.”
Since the Christmas strikes, flight-tracking data suggests U.S. intelligence and surveillance activity in Nigeria has picked up again, indicating Washington is keeping a close eye on the evolving security landscape.
