The United States has reportedly carried out a major military operation targeting suspected terrorist enclaves in Nigeria’s North-West region, triggering fresh geopolitical and security concerns both within the country and internationally.
Information reaching DDM News say the development was announced late Thursday by former United States President Donald Trump in a post on social media, where he claimed that American forces had executed what he described as a “powerful and deadly” strike against terrorist elements operating in the region.
According to Trump, the operation resulted in the killing of “many terrorists,” whom he identified as members of the Islamic State, alleging that they had been responsible for sustained and brutal attacks, particularly against Christian communities in the area. He attributed the success of the operation to the United States Department of War, which he praised for carrying out what he termed “numerous perfect strikes.”
Trump’s announcement comes against the backdrop of his earlier decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, a classification tied to allegations of widespread religious persecution and what he has repeatedly described as the genocide of Christians. Following that designation, Trump disclosed that he had directed the US Department of War to begin preparations for potential action in Nigeria, a move that reportedly involved extensive intelligence gathering and surveillance operations across parts of northern Nigeria.
In his social media statement, Trump suggested that the strike was the culmination of those preparations, warning that it was the fulfillment of earlier threats he had issued to armed groups accused of targeting Christian populations.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries,” Trump wrote.
He further claimed that the operation was intended as a punitive response to continued violence despite prior warnings. “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. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing,” he added.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian government has not issued any official statement confirming or denying the operation, nor has it provided clarification on whether any coordination took place between Nigerian security agencies and US forces. Trump also did not release specific details regarding the location of the strikes, the nature of the targets, or whether any collateral damage occurred.
The announcement has raised serious questions about sovereignty, regional security dynamics, and the evolving role of foreign military intervention in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism. Analysts say that if confirmed, the operation would mark a significant escalation in US involvement in Nigeria’s internal security challenges, particularly in the North-West, a region already grappling with banditry, insurgency, and mass displacement.
The Nigeria government through the Nigeria ministry of foreign affairs has also confirmed the strike which took place in Sokoto and that it was in collaboration with the Nigeria government.
