United States President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning, indicating he is prepared to authorise more military strikes on Nigerian soil if violent assaults against the nation's Christian community do not cease.
Trump's Christmas Warning and Designation
In a revealing interview with the New York Times on Thursday, January 9, 2026, President Trump was questioned about the Christmas Day military strikes in Sokoto State, which targeted Islamist militant camps. He framed the action as a potential precursor to a broader campaign, stating his desire for it to be an isolated event but warning of escalation. "I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike," Trump declared.
This statement builds upon his 2025 decision to label Nigeria a "country of particular concern." The designation was based on what the US President characterised as an "existential threat" facing Nigeria's Christian population, which he estimates numbers over 100 million in the nation of more than 230 million people.
Nigerian Government's Firm Rebuttal
The remarks from the US leader have been met with firm opposition from Nigerian authorities. A government spokesperson strongly contested the assertion that Christians are being singled out by jihadist groups operating within the country's borders.
"Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike are affected by this violence," the official stated, emphasising the non-sectarian nature of the terrorist threat. When confronted with analyses suggesting that a majority of jihadist victims in Nigeria are in fact Muslim, Trump countered, "I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians."
Details of the Joint Sokoto Operation
The December strikes, which Trump referred to as a "Christmas present," focused on camps operated by a jihadist faction known as Lakurawa in Sokoto. This northwestern region is predominantly Muslim and shares a border with Niger Republic.
Nigerian Foreign Minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, provided crucial context, clarifying that the operation was a coordinated "joint effort" between Nigerian and US forces. He confirmed that President Bola Tinubu granted full approval for the mission and that Nigerian armed forces actively participated.
Tuggar explicitly denied any religious motivation or connection to the Christmas holiday, despite Trump's characterisation. Both US and Nigerian intelligence agencies have associated the Lakurawa militants with Islamic State-affiliated groups spreading violence across the Sahel region, though ISIS has not officially claimed ties to the group.
To date, neither government has released official casualty figures from the aerial assaults, leaving the exact human toll unclear. The event underscores the complex security challenges in Nigeria, a nation roughly evenly split between a Christian-majority south and a Muslim-majority north, and the growing involvement of external powers in its internal security affairs.
