United States President Donald Trump has warned that Washington may launch additional military strikes in Nigeria if killings of Christians persist, a statement that has renewed debate over US rhetoric on violence in the country.
In an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, Trump said further action remained an option following a US military operation carried out on Christmas Day against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria. The US military said the strike was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump said. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”
The Nigerian government has consistently denied claims that Christians are being systematically persecuted, maintaining that armed groups target people across religious lines.
When asked about comments by his Africa adviser that extremist groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians, Trump acknowledged that Muslims have also been victims but insisted Christians are the main targets. “I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria,” he said. “But it’s mostly Christians.”
Trump has repeatedly raised the issue in recent months. In late October, he warned that Christianity faced an “existential threat” in Nigeria and suggested the United States could intervene militarily if the Nigerian government failed to curb violence against Christian communities.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with over 230 million people, has long battled insecurity, including insurgency, kidnappings, and attacks by Islamist militant groups.
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that it struck terrorist camps in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day under Trump’s orders. The operation, carried out in Sokoto State in coordination with Nigerian authorities, reportedly killed several ISIS militants.
The strike followed earlier warnings from Trump in October, when he hinted at possible US military intervention if the violence continued. Before the operation, reports indicated that US intelligence-gathering flights had been conducted over large parts of Nigeria from late November.
While Nigeria’s government continues to push back against claims of targeted persecution of Christians, it has agreed to cooperate with the United States to strengthen efforts against militant groups.
Following the strike, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X that further actions could still be taken.
