President Donald Trump has warned that the United States may carry out additional military strikes in Nigeria if attacks on Christians continue, raising fresh diplomatic and security concerns between Washington and Abuja.
Trump issued the warning during a recent interview with The New York Times, where he defended the December 25, 2025 U.S. airstrikes in north-western Nigeria and suggested that further military action remained an option. According to him, the strikes were aimed at extremist groups responsible for deadly attacks on Christian communities.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump was quoted as saying. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”
The Christmas Day strike reportedly targeted Islamic State-linked militants operating in parts of Sokoto State, an area that has seen increasing activity by armed extremist and bandit groups. U.S. officials described the operation as a counter-terrorism mission, insisting it was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
However, Trump’s framing of the operation as a response to attacks on Christians has sparked debate. Nigerian officials have consistently rejected claims of systematic religious persecution, arguing that insecurity in the country is driven by terrorism, banditry and criminal violence affecting both Christians and Muslims.
Security analysts note that Nigeria’s violence, particularly in the North-West, North-East and parts of the Middle Belt, involves a mix of jihadist insurgents, armed bandits and criminal gangs whose motives range from ideology to ransom-driven kidnappings.
Despite official assurances that U.S.–Nigeria security cooperation remains intact, Trump’s remarks have heightened tensions and raised questions about Nigeria’s sovereignty, the scope of foreign military involvement, and the potential consequences of unilateral strikes.
Diplomatic sources say Abuja is expected to engage Washington to clarify the remarks, amid growing public concern over the implications of repeated foreign military action on Nigerian soil.
As insecurity persists across several regions, the latest warning underscores how Nigeria’s internal security crisis is increasingly drawing international attention — and intervention.
Abuja Network News
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