The United States President, Donald Trump, has claimed that American military action in Nigeria helped halt the killing of Christians in parts of the country affected by insurgency and extremist violence.
Trump made the claim on Friday, during an event in Washington, where he highlighted his administration’s security operations and counter-terrorism efforts in different regions of the world.
The US President said American intervention significantly reduced attacks on Christian communities, which he described as victims of widespread violence in Nigeria.
“As you know, we recently struck Nigeria and largely ended the slaughter of great Christian populations,” Trump said.
He alleged that before the intervention, thousands of people, including women, children and the elderly, had been killed in attacks targeting Christian populations.
“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,” he said.
Trump emphasised that the operation weakened those responsible for the attacks and contributed to restoring security in affected communities.
His comments, however, raise fresh questions about the nature and scope of any reported US military operation in Nigeria, as neither the Nigerian government nor security agencies have publicly announced such an intervention.
Nigeria has battled insurgency, banditry and communal violence for more than a decade, particularly in the North-East and parts of the Middle Belt, where attacks have affected both Christian and Muslim communities.
Security analysts have repeatedly urged stronger international cooperation to address terrorism while cautioning against narratives that simplify the country’s complex security challenges along religious lines.
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