US Launches Strikes Against "Terrorist Scum" In Nigeria

missile being launched from a military vessel.

President Trump telegraphed the move last month, warning that US military intervention in West Africa was certainly on the table after what he described as the mass killing of Christians by Islamic terrorists in Nigeria. Now, the president says the US military forces carried out powerful strikes against ISIS targets, framing the operation as a direct response to militants "viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians."

"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 on Truth Social on Christmas Day.

Trump continued, "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. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper," the president declared.

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), the U.S. military's unified combatant command responsible for operations and security cooperation across Africa, said on X that, acting at the direction of Trump and the Secretary of War and in coordination with Nigerian officials, it carried out strikes against ISIS terrorists in Nigeria on Christmas Day, in Sokoto State.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X that Trump was very clear last month: "The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end," adding, "The @DeptofWar is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas. More to come..."

Comment: Map of Nigeria for reference:

As we've previously reported, Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria...

It seems Nicki Minaj has become the spokeswoman to address the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and around the world.

The energy market reaction was muted during the thin holiday trading, with Brent crude prices flat despite Nigeria's status as an OPEC member.

Trump has previously designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over religious freedom, a label rejected by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has faced growing ISIS pressure in the northeast.

The strike against ISIS fits into a broader pattern of Trump using military force abroad, including recent large-scale airstrikes in Syria and Iran and gunboat diplomacy in the Caribbean to accelerate regime instability in Venezuela.

Reader Comments

Ragnar · 2025-12-26T18:01:16Z

I guess we don't have any independent reports from Nigeria about what was actually hit? I don't trust the US government to tell anyone the truth. They seem unable to tell the truth about anything.

ReRan · 2025-12-26T21:38:44Z

Ragnar Not only do they lie about events, they make up stuff out of thin air to justify more lies.

Bsotted · 2025-12-27T04:27:12Z

Wondering who really killed those Christian’s

A lot of oil in Nigeria, just saying.

codis · 2025-12-27T10:11:17Z

Bsotted It's not about oil. Nor is it in Venezuela.

Nigeria was a British colony until the '60. That should tell you what it's about ...

Giant Meteor 24 · 2025-12-27T15:43:47Z

Bsotted but it's not about the oil, it's about protecting innocents from terrorist scum

Peter Jennings · 2025-12-27T19:52:52Z

Bsotted The USadmin didn't care when the Shell oil company were getting people hanged for protesting about the mess these oil wells were making throughout the farmland and countryside. The USadmin didn't lift a finger when Christian's were being slaughtered in Syria. So i'm guessing that these US attacks have little to do with helping Christian's. ISIS will afford the USadmin with the excuses it needs to cause trouble in Africa, as was done in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan.

Dwoods44 · 2025-12-27T05:20:04Z

This is not a defense of the Trump admin; only context.

" Then-President Bush signed Executive Order 13224 on September 23, 2001. Executive Order 13224 gives the U.S. Government a powerful tool to impede terrorist funding and is part of our national commitment to lead the international effort to bring a halt to the evil of terrorist activity. ...Then-President Bush declared a national emergency to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States posed by grave acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism committed by foreign terrorists, including the terrorist attacks in New York and Pennsylvania, and on the Pentagon committed on September 11, 2001, and the continuing and immediate threat of further attacks on U.S. nationals or the United States."

This Executive Order was set up to attack "terrorism" anywhere in the world and it was never removed.

Dwoods44 · 2025-12-27T10:25:19Z

Dwoods44 Additional context: "The order has also served as a legal foundation for subsequent executive actions. For example, in January 2025, Executive Order 14157 referenced E.O. 13224 when establishing a process to designate international cartels as foreign terrorist organizations or SDGTs. Similarly, in November 2025, another executive order under President Donald J. Trump invoked E.O. 13224 to initiate the potential designation of certain Muslim Brotherhood chapters as terrorist entities. These later uses demonstrate the continued relevance and adaptability of E.O. 13224 in addressing evolving national security threats beyond its original post-9/11 context. "

JohnDukes · 2025-12-27T14:59:13Z

“…Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper," the president declared.

Unless it’s in the US or Western Europe, then we’ll give them welfare and allow them to launder money through front businesses unimpeded.

Giant Meteor 24 · 2025-12-27T15:45:21Z

JohnDukes what we will do is bomb their country and then set up a pipe line to funnel their war refugees to a lib city in the west so that our tax payers will roll out the carpets and feed/house/medical/education etc

JTF Truth · 2025-12-28T05:55:29Z

Nigeria is rich in diverse mineral resources, including major deposits of gold, iron ore, coal, tin, limestone, lead, zinc, and bitumen, alongside energy minerals like uranium and crucial industrial minerals like kaolin, barytes, gypsum, marble, and talc, plus emerging energy transition minerals like lithium, nickel, and rare earths, though many remain underdeveloped.

Christian's are the cover story.

ReRan · 2025-12-28T15:02:43Z

JTF Truth Surprise, surprise...

JTF Truth · 2025-12-28T17:39:56Z

ReRan Found that info in 30 seconds.

Follow the money.