US Issues Warning of Further Nigeria Military Actions as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Operations'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional strikes against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Actions as Joint Effort

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Missions

Nigeria provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then conferred with the American official again.

“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials.

Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate originated when pastoralists banded together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.

Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water.

• Clergy and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
• A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Unrest and Data

There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting 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 a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Wider American Military Posture

This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen strikes in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region.

Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”