KEY POINTS

• The US Defence Secretary said President Trump ordered operations against ISIS fighters in Nigeria to protect Christians.
• Critics argue Nigeria’s security crisis is more complex and not solely based on anti-Christian violence.
• The US and Nigeria have recently strengthened military cooperation through joint operations, troop support, and intelligence sharing.

The United States Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said recent American military operations against Boko Haram and ISIS fighters in Nigeria were carried out under the directive of President Donald Trump to protect Nigerian Christians allegedly being targeted by terrorists.

Hegseth made the statement during a press briefing at the White House, where he claimed Trump ordered the US military to intensify efforts against ISIS elements operating in Nigeria following reports of attacks on Christian communities.

According to him, the directive contributed to the killing of an ISIS commander identified as Abubakar Mainok, also known as Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, during a joint operation involving Nigerian and American forces around the Lake Chad region.

Questions Over US Narrative on Nigeria’s Security Crisis

Despite the US position, reports indicate that the violence in Nigeria’s North-east is not strictly religious and has affected both Muslims and Christians alike, with Muslims reportedly forming the majority of victims in insurgency-ravaged communities.

The slain ISIS commander was reportedly operating in the Lake Chad region, far from areas such as Benue and Plateau states, which American lawmakers and Christian advocacy groups had previously described as centres of anti-Christian persecution.

Critics have repeatedly argued that the violence in parts of Nigeria is driven by a complex mix of terrorism, banditry, communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts, and weak governance rather than an organised campaign targeting Christians alone.

The operation that led to the death of Al-Minuki came months after tensions between both countries over Nigeria’s human rights and religious freedom record.

The Trump administration had earlier imposed visa restrictions on Nigerians and designated the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” over allegations of religious persecution.

However, diplomatic relations later improved through a series of high-level meetings and the creation of a joint security working group led by Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and US Under Secretary of State, Allison Hooker.

Both countries also launched the 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap and recently introduced Defence Institutional Technical Working Groups aimed at strengthening military collaboration.