US, Nigeria confirms strike on ISIS camps as clerics, activists, and netizens clash over impact

In a statement on Thursday, December 25, the US Africa Command said the strike took place in Sokoto State and resulted in the deaths of multiple fighters linked to the Islamic State group.

The command said the operation was part of ongoing cooperation with Nigeria to counter militant threats in the region.

He claimed the group had been “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians,” framing the strike as a necessary intervention to curb escalating attacks.

The strike follows weeks of heightened rhetoric from Trump, who in late October warned that Christianity faced what he called an “existential threat” in Nigeria.

He had previously suggested that Washington could consider military action if Abuja failed to stem violence against Christian communities.

Nigerian authorities have consistently rejected that characterisation, arguing that armed groups in the country target both Muslims and Christians and that a complex mix of insurgency, banditry, and criminal violence drives the conflict.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the strike, describing it as part of broader security collaboration with the United States.

The ministry said intelligence sharing and strategic coordination between both countries had “led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West”.

The Pentagon released video footage showing at least one projectile launched from a US warship, while a US defence official said the strike focused on known Islamic State camps and targeted multiple militants.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation, adding briefly that there was “more to come,” a remark that has fuelled speculation about further joint operations.

However, the strike has sparked sharp reactions in Nigeria, particularly over questions of sovereignty and the risks of foreign military involvement.

Influential Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi called on the federal government to immediately halt all military cooperation with the United States, warning that American involvement could worsen Nigeria’s security challenges.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Gumi argued that Nigeria had made a mistake by allowing foreign powers to play a role in its counterterrorism operations.

He insisted that “terrorists do not truly fight terrorists” and warned that such interventions often lead to civilian casualties and hidden political agendas.

He added that no nation should allow its territory to become a theatre of war, suggesting that countries such as China, Turkey, or Pakistan would be preferable partners if Nigeria sought external military support.

One US-based user wrote that Trump had kept his promise, while another thanked him for protecting Christians, using inflammatory language to call for broader crackdowns on extremists.

A global political commentator also linked the strike to a recent appeal by Nigerian Christians, writing that Trump’s action appeared to be a direct response to calls for help against extremist violence.

In Nigeria, reactions reflected the country’s complex religious and political fault lines. Some users praised the secrecy and execution of the operation, contrasting it with what they described as leaks and inefficiencies in domestic military actions.

Others were far more sceptical as rights advocate Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu argued that the strike should not be framed as a humanitarian intervention, warning Nigerians against accepting claims that it was carried out solely to protect Christians.

At the same time, some northern voices defended the operation as a Nigerian Muslim commentator wrote that a strike on Islamic State camps should not be viewed as an attack on Islam, noting that extremist groups have killed large numbers of Muslims across northern Nigeria.

He argued that outrage over the bombing reflected sympathy for militants rather than concern for their victims.

Nigeria’s government maintains that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians and that international narratives focusing solely on religious persecution oversimplify the crisis.

Still, the confirmed US strike underscores how Nigeria’s fight against militant violence is increasingly drawing in global powers, with domestic opinion sharply divided over whether such involvement brings security or further instability.