US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he had authorized strikes against ISIS militants in northwest Nigeria, describing them as “terrorist scum” responsible for attacks on Christian populations. The president stated he had warned terrorists there would be “hell to pay,” and the Christmas Day strikes delivered on that promise.
The military action followed Trump’s warnings from October and November characterizing violence against Nigerian Christians as an “existential threat” and potential “genocide.” The president had explicitly warned that failure to stop the slaughter would result in severe consequences, specifically promising “hell to pay” for continued attacks.
In his statement, Trump emphasized that the Department of War executed “numerous perfect strikes” against militants who had been viciously killing innocent Christians. He highlighted that only American forces possess such military capabilities and reaffirmed his administration’s zero-tolerance stance toward radical Islamic terrorism.
The Nigerian Foreign Ministry confirmed the strikes as part of ongoing security cooperation with the United States. This collaboration involves intelligence sharing and strategic planning to address terrorism and violent extremism in the region. Nigerian officials made clear that their government opposes terrorist violence against all religious communities.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed gratitude to Nigeria for enabling the operation and suggested that more strikes could follow. He noted that ISIS had learned the consequences on Christmas. The Pentagon released video documentation showing weaponry being deployed from warships. While Nigerian President Bola Ahmed has cooperated with the security operation, he has also emphasized that Nigeria’s constitution protects citizens of all faiths and that the country is committed to working with international partners while ensuring religious freedom for all its people.