US President Donald Trump has announced that American forces carried out a series of lethal military strikes against ISIS militants in Nigeria on Christmas Day.
Christmas Day Announcement on Social Media
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, 25 December 2025, the President declared the offensive against what he termed 'ISIS Terrorist Scum' operating in Northwest Nigeria. He stated the action was taken under his direct authority as Commander in Chief.
The post, which rapidly gained nearly 8,000 likes within an hour, framed the operation as a response to the targeting and killing of innocent Christians. "I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was," Trump wrote.
Context of US-Nigeria Relations
This military action follows escalating tensions and specific warnings from the Trump administration. Last month, the President revealed he had instructed the Pentagon to begin planning for potential action in Nigeria following persistent allegations of Christian persecution.
Furthermore, the US State Department recently designated Nigeria as a "country of particular concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act. In recent weeks, it also moved to impose visa restrictions on Nigerians and their family members implicated in mass killings and violence against Christians.
Details and Reaction to the Strikes
While specific operational details and casualty figures from the Christmas Day strikes in Northwest Nigeria remain undisclosed, Trump praised the execution of the mission. He claimed "the Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing."
Concluding his festive message, the President stated: "Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues."
The announcement marks a significant escalation of direct US military involvement in Nigeria, focusing specifically on the ISIS-affiliated threat in the country's northwestern region.
