We slept and woke up to the news that US President, Donald Trump conducted an airstrike in Northeast Nigeria (i.e., Sokoto) on Christmas Day, and saw a video of a bomb being launched into Nigeria.
Interestingly, earlier on 25 December, a mosque was bombed in Nigeria, which killed five people and left many others injured.
In a social media post, Trump said, “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northeast Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing primarily innocent Christians.” 
Was the Nigerian government aware and in support? The U.S. Africa Command then stated that, “At the direction of the United States and the Secretary of Defense, and in coordination with Nigerian authorities, the U.S. Africa Command conducted airstrikes against ISIS in Nigeria.”
In a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was stated that, “The Ministry of foreign affairs confirms that the Nigerian authorities remain engaged in structured cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America, in addressing persistent threats of terrorism and violent extremism…”
The Backstory
Last month, Trump made many speeches speaking out against the targeting of Christians in Nigeria and threatening to send airstrikes.
The Nigerian government, in turn, replied that there was no unfair targeting of Christians. Sure, there are pockets of insecurity, but it’s not targeted at only Christians.
Trump then placed Nigeria on a partial visa restriction. The U.S. is issuing no visas to Nigerians from 1 January 2026, except if you are a diplomat, athlete, or already had a visa or residency. They’ve even closed their consular office in Nigeria.
The Consequences of the Bomb
The Nigerian President is yet to speak, but if they do and say they were aware and approved the airstrike, then we can give him a pass. If not, Trump just invaded a foreign territory, which is against international law.
When Trump made these threats, many were afraid—for good reason, too, because the U.S. Army occupying a foreign country usually leads to more chaos; case in point: Libya. After killing Gaddafi, the country was launched into anarchy.
This is a developing story, and we are expecting more to follow.
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