American Warns of More Nigerian Military Actions as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional strikes against Islamic State targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a mission to end the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary stated on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Joint Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Collaboration Preceding the Airstrikes

Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently spoke with the American official again.

“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with local officials.

Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this affiliate originated when pastoralists banded together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water.

• Clergy and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
• A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate insurgency mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Violence and Data

There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.

Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”

Broader U.S. Military Policy

This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes in multiple countries and a major military buildup in another region.

Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”