Fresh diplomatic and security tensions are emerging between Nigeria and the United States following a renewed warning by former US President Donald Trump that Washington could carry out additional military strikes on Nigerian soil if attacks on Christians persist.
Trump issued the warning during an interview with The New York Times, where he was questioned on whether the Christmas Day missile strikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria marked the start of a wider American military campaign in the country. While expressing hope that the strikes would be a one-off operation, Trump made it clear that the option of further military intervention remains open.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump said. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”
The Christmas Day operation, which reportedly targeted extremist elements linked to the Islamic State, followed earlier comments by Trump in which he openly threatened to deploy US forces into Nigeria. At the time, he stated that American troops would “move in very aggressively” to eliminate terrorists allegedly targeting Christians, echoing claims by some US politicians and advocacy groups that Christians were facing systematic persecution in Nigeria.
However, Nigerian authorities have pushed back strongly against such narratives. The Federal Government insists that the Christmas Day airstrike was conducted under Nigeria’s full control and supervision. According to Ademola Oshodi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, the Nigerian government retained operational oversight of the single strike and did not cede sovereignty to any foreign power.
Despite this assurance, Trump’s comments have raised concerns among policy analysts and civil society groups about the implications for Nigeria’s sovereignty, regional stability, and diplomatic relations with the United States.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected allegations of a targeted campaign against Christians, stressing that insecurity in the country affects citizens across religious and ethnic lines. Authorities argue that extremist violence by groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province has claimed the lives of both Muslims and Christians.
This position was reinforced in October by Trump’s own senior adviser on Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, who stated that extremist groups had killed more Muslims than Christians in Nigeria. When confronted with this assessment during the interview, Trump acknowledged that Muslims were also victims but maintained that Christians bore the brunt of the attacks.
“I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria,” Trump admitted. “But it’s mostly Christians.”
The latest warning has sparked renewed debate within Nigeria over foreign intervention, religious narratives surrounding insecurity, and the need for stronger domestic responses to terrorism. Security experts caution that framing Nigeria’s complex security challenges purely along religious lines risks oversimplifying the crisis and could inflame sectarian tensions.
As Nigeria continues its fight against terrorism and violent extremism, observers say sustained diplomatic engagement, intelligence cooperation, and respect for national sovereignty will be critical in managing relations with international partners, particularly the United States.
