LAGOS, Nigeria — By publicly cooperating with the United States on Christmas Day airstrikes, Nigeria’s government may have averted humiliating unilateral military action threatened a month ago by President Donald Trump. Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said on Friday Nigeria had acted jointly with the U.S., but not targeting any specific religion. “Nigeria is a multi-religious country, and we’re working with partners like the U.S. to fight terrorism and protect lives and property,” Tuggar told Nigeria’s Channels Television. Last month, Trump threatened to order his forces to take military action in Nigeria unless the authorities there acted to stop what he described as the persecution of Christians. “It’s very likely this is the group Trump referred to when mentioning U.S. military strikes in Nigeria,” said Confidence MacHarry, senior analyst at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 26, 2025 16:54 UTC