Nigeria’s armed forces have stepped up land and air operations across parts of the country’s northern region after a hardline warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington could intervene if attacks on Christians continue.
In a post on his Truth Social account, Mr. Trump said he had instructed U.S. authorities to prepare for “possible action” and warned that the United States might suspend all aid to Nigeria if the federal government failed to halt what he described as the targeted killing of Christians. In the same post he threatened forceful measures against those he called “Islamic terrorists” if the violence persisted.
The president’s comments appeared to come amid mounting insecurity in the North, where rival militant groups have also been fighting one another for territory. Security sources and local reports say more than 50 fighters were killed in a recent clash between Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State, underscoring the region’s deteriorating security outlook.
Officials in Abuja have not publicly linked the Nigerian military’s intensified patrols and air sorties to Mr. Trump’s post, but the uptick in operations — including targeted airstrikes and increased troop movements — comes as authorities grapple with both insurgent activity and inter-faction violence that have driven civilian displacement and deepened fears among communities across the North.
The confrontation between Boko Haram and ISWAP, together with the broader pattern of attacks on civilians in some areas, has placed additional pressure on the federal government to demonstrate control and protect civilians.
