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by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
ABUJA (Worthy News) – Nigeria says it has provided intelligence support to the United States ahead of Christmas Day airstrikes targeting militants linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) group in the country’s northwest, where Christians had been among those suffering from Islamic extremism.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump confirmed the American military carried out what he described as “powerful and deadly” strikes against ISIS operating in Sokoto state, near the border with Niger.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump accused the group of “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians,” and said he ordered the operation as commander-in-chief.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar confirmed the strikes were planned “for quite some time” using intelligence provided by Nigerian authorities and described the operation as a joint effort.
Referring to the timing of the strikes, which took place late Thursday, Tuggar said they had “nothing to do with Christmas” and were not religiously motivated. He added that further strikes were possible.
TIMING WAS DELIBERATE
Trump, however, said in separate comments that the timing was deliberate. “They were going to do it earlier, and I said, ‘nope, let’s give a Christmas present,’” he added. “They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated.”
The U.S. military said an initial assessment suggested multiple militant fatalities in Sokoto state, though no confirmed casualty figures were released.
Nigerian officials said no civilian deaths were reported, despite debris from munitions falling in two communities.
The strikes targeted camps linked to Lakurawa, a “local jihadist faction” with ties to ISIS in the Sahel, and has sought to establish a foothold in north-western Nigeria—an area previously less affected by jihadist violence.
A local official in the Tangaza area of Sokoto state, Isa Salihu Bashir, said the strikes hit Lakurawa terrorist camps, saying many fighters were killed, although the death toll remained unclear.
PENTAGON VIDEO RELEASED
Video footage released by the Pentagon appeared to show missile launches linked to the operation.
It was not immediately clear what the impact was on the local Christian community: Nigeria ranks 6th worldwide on the 2025 World Watch List compiled by Christian advocacy group Open Doors, reflecting extreme levels of violence against Christians.
The ranking cites killings, kidnappings, church attacks, and mass displacement, primarily attributed to jihadist groups including Boko Haram, Islamic State offshoots, and armed Fulani militants.
Advocacy group Open Doors estimates that thousands of Christians are killed annually in Nigeria, making it one of the deadliest countries in the world for believers.
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians adequately and has designated the country a U.S. “country of particular concern” over religious freedom violations.
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