US Signals of Additional Nigeria Military Actions as Abuja Speaks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional airstrikes against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces took action against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a campaign to halt the killing of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth stated on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Collaborative Operation

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes

Nigeria provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again.

“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities.

Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this IS branch started when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

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

• Clergy and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
• A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.

Continuing Violence 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 emphasized that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”

Wider American Military Policy

This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region.

No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”