The United State President Donald Trump said he ordered “numerous” airstrikes against suspected Islamic State (ISIS) targets in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day, according to a post he shared Thursday evening on his Truth Social account.

Trump described the strikes as “powerful and deadly,” claiming they were aimed at ISIS militants whom he accused of targeting and killing Christians in the West African country. 

No further operational details or official confirmation of the strikes were immediately available.

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reposted Trump’s statement on X, saying he was “grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation,” suggesting coordination between the two countries.

Nigeria’s government and several security experts have previously pushed back against Trump’s characterisation of the country’s security challenges, noting that violence by Islamist extremists and armed groups affects Nigerians of all religions.

The comments came amid continued unrest in the region.

On Wednesday night, a blast at a mosque in northeast Nigeria killed five people and injured at least 35 others, underscoring the widespread nature of the violence.

Nigeria’s population is roughly divided between Muslims, who predominantly live in the north, and Christians, who are more concentrated in the south.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has repeatedly called for religious unity and peace.

In a Christmas Eve post on X, Tinubu said he remains committed to protecting Nigerians of all faiths. “I stand committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence,” he wrote.

Tinubu also rejected claims that Nigeria is religiously intolerant, stating in a November 1 post that such portrayals “do not reflect our national reality,” adding that the government opposes religious persecution.

Despite this, the United States has recently taken punitive steps against Nigeria.

In October, Trump reinstated Nigeria on a U.S. list of countries accused of violating religious freedom. 

Earlier this week, Nigeria was also added to a U.S. travel ban list facing partial restrictions.

According to Republican U.S. Representative Riley Moore, who recently visited Nigeria, the two countries have established a joint security task force to address ongoing threats from extremist groups.