🔗 Share this article US Warns of Additional Nigerian Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'. The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further strikes against IS targets in northwest Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a mission to halt the slaughter of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary posted on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with local officials. Context of Violence in North-West Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when pastoralists banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for resources. Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists 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 unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Unrest and Data There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions. Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Broader American Military Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen strikes in multiple countries and a major military buildup in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further strikes against IS targets in northwest Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a mission to halt the slaughter of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary posted on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with local officials. Context of Violence in North-West Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when pastoralists banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for resources. Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists 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 unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Unrest and Data There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions. Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Broader American Military Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen strikes in multiple countries and a major military buildup in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”