Trump Threatens Further Military Action Against Nigeria Over Christian Persecution

Sat Jan 10 2026 22:24:19 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a recent interview, former President Donald Trump indicated that he may escalate military strikes in Nigeria if the violence against Christians continues, raising concerns about the impact on the region's sectarian tensions.

Former President Donald Trump warned of more military strikes on Nigeria if violence against Christians persists, following Christmas Day airstrikes that targeted Islamist militants. He emphasized the Christian community's plight in Nigeria, despite the Nigerian government's assertion that attacks affect all faiths. Trump acknowledged the broader context of violence affecting both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, but maintained that Christians are predominantly targeted. The geopolitical implications and the implications on Nigeria's socio-religious dynamics are significant as the country grapples with complex security challenges.

US President Donald Trump has warned that he could order more airstrikes on Nigeria if Christians continue to be killed in the West African nation.

In a wide-ranging interview with the New York Times, Trump was asked whether the Christmas Day strikes in Nigeria's northern Sokoto state, targeting Islamist militants, were part of a broader military campaign.

I'd love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians it will be a many-time strike, he said.

Nigeria's government has rejected Trump's earlier accusations that it is failing to protect Christians from jihadist attacks, saying that Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike are targeted.

Claims of genocide against Nigeria's Christians began circulating last year in some right-wing US circles - but organizations monitoring political violence in Nigeria say most victims of jihadist groups are Muslims.

When questioned about this in the interview published on Thursday, Trump replied: I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it's mostly Christians.

Nigeria's population of more than 230 million is roughly evenly divided between Christians, who predominate in the south, and Muslims, who are mostly in the north.

For the past 15 years, the northeast of the country has suffered from a devastating Islamist insurgency from jihadist groups like Boko Haram and those affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group, resulting in an array of complex security issues, including criminal gangs and separatist unrest.

The US's Christmas Day strikes targeted camps run by a jihadist group called Lakurawa in Sokoto. Nigeria's Foreign Minister stated that these operations had been a joint effort and were unrelated to religious bias, despite Trump mentioning that they were carried out as a Christmas present for Christians.