US Strikes ISIS in Nigeria, Trump Cites Christian Persecution Amid Local Pushback

The United States has launched a deadly strike against the Islamic State (IS) group in northwestern Nigeria. President Donald Trump framed the action as a defense of "innocent Christians," but Nigerian officials and rights groups are telling a starkly different story, exposing a clash of narratives over the operation's true purpose.

Trump's Declaration: A Strike on "Terrorist Scum"

President Trump announced in a post on Truth Social late on Thursday that the US launched a "powerful and deadly strike." He described IS as "terrorist scum," accusing the group of "viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians." The US Africa Command (Africom) later reported that the attack was carried out in coordination with Nigeria in the Sokoto state.

The move follows Trump's order in November for the military to prepare for action in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militants. He had previously declared Nigeria a "Country of Particular Concern" due to what he called an "existential threat" to its Christian population.

Nigeria's Rebuttal: A "Joint Operation" Unrelated to Religion

Nigeria, however, offered a different perspective. Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar told the BBC it was a "joint operation" targeting "terrorists" and that it "has nothing to do with a particular religion." A statement from the Nigerian foreign ministry on Friday affirmed its ongoing security cooperation with international partners, including the US, to address terrorism.

An adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu also told the BBC that jihadists have killed people of all faiths and underscored that Nigeria is a "sovereign" country. This view is supported by violence monitoring and human rights groups, which say there is no evidence Christians are being disproportionately targeted. According to Acled, a group analyzing political violence, most people killed by jihadist groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province in the northeast have been Muslims.