US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States may launch further military strikes in Nigeria if killings of Christians persist.
Trump made this statement in an interview with The New York Times, following a US military strike against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day.
The strike was carried out at the request of the Nigerian government, which described it as a joint operation against “terrorists” with no particular religious motivation.
Trump emphasized that while Muslims are also victims of violence, Christians are most affected.
His comments come amid intensified criticism of Nigeria’s handling of insecurity, with Trump previously warning that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in the country.
Nigerian authorities have denied that Christians are being systematically targeted, insisting that extremist groups kill both Muslims and Christians, and that the crisis is driven by terrorism and criminal activity rather than religious persecution.