United States President Donald Trump has claimed that recent military strikes authorised by his administration in Nigeria significantly weakened terrorist groups and helped reduce attacks on Christian communities across the country.
Speaking at an event in Washington on Friday, Trump said the operation targeted terrorist elements responsible for violent attacks and contributed to protecting vulnerable Christian populations. The Trump Nigeria strikes remarks were made as he highlighted his administration’s approach to combating terrorism and defending religious freedom.
According to the US president, the strikes disrupted terrorist operations and prevented further attacks on Christian communities that he said had suffered heavy casualties.
“As you know, we recently struck Nigeria and largely ended the slaughter of great Christian populations,” Trump said. He alleged that thousands of Christians, including women, children and elderly people, had been killed before the military operation.
“They have a great Christian population. They were being butchered… Thousands and thousands of people were being killed, children, women, old people, just being slaughtered, hacked to death,” he stated.
Trump also claimed that the military operation eliminated several senior terrorist figures, saying the action had weakened the groups’ operational capacity and served as a warning against future attacks.
“They know that if they go further, the attack will be far greater,” he said.
“We hit them very hard. We knocked out their leader. We knocked out their second leader and their third leader.”
The president did not provide additional details about the operation or identify the specific terrorist group involved during his remarks. During the event, Trump compared the military action in Nigeria with his administration’s policy toward Iran, arguing that both were intended to prevent larger security threats.
“It sounds a little bit like Iran, actually… because we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let it happen,” he said.
The Trump Nigeria strikes comments formed part of a broader discussion on the administration’s foreign policy and national security priorities. Trump said his administration remains committed to protecting Christian communities globally by taking military action against terrorist organisations where necessary.
“So I’m saving Christians throughout the world… I’m saving them by hitting these terrorists very violently and very hard. We know where they are. We hunt them down, and we take them out,” he said.
He also warned against what he described as ongoing threats to religious freedom, stating that the United States would continue confronting extremist groups operating in different parts of the world. The remarks come amid continued international attention on security challenges affecting parts of Nigeria and broader efforts by governments and security partners to counter terrorism and violent extremism.
