On December 25, 2025, dozens of tomahawks missiles were launched from US military vessels into the Sokoto region in Northern Nigeria, along the border with Niger. The strikes were aimed to combat ISIS training camps in the region; the death toll is still unclear but both US and Nigerian officials have claimed multiple targets were killed.
US President Donald Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to explain, “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.”
Nigeria’s foreign minister stated that Nigerian President Tinubu gave the “go-ahead” to the US military, dubbing the mission a “joint-operation” between US and Nigerian forces. To the news outlet Politico, President Trump described the communication between the two countries, stating, “They were going to do it earlier…I said, ‘nope, let’s give a Christmas present.’ “They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated.”
Michael Berhanu, a christian activist and junior at BCC explained, “Obviously it’s [Christian persecution] a problem in Nigeria…it’s about protecting the right to have your own faith no matter what.”
On whether the US should be the ones to step in and protect these Christians, Berhanu stated, “I think that the US should defend Christians so that they’re able to practice their faith.”
As militant groups such as ISIS and Boko Haram continue to carry out attacks in the north of Nigeria, these strikes are yet another indication of the instability the African country of more than 230 million people faces.
