Do Donald Trump’s strikes in Nigeria serve any purpose?
The US president says air strikes are against ISIL, claiming the group targets Christians.
The US president says air strikes are against ISIL, claiming the group targets Christians.
“More to come”: Those are the words of United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after his country carried out a wave of air strikes against ISIL (ISIS) in northwestern Nigeria.
Hegseth said the aim is to stop the group’s killing of what he called “innocent Christians”.
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Back in November, President Donald Trump warned the US would take action against the group if the Nigerian government continued to allow what he claimed was the targeting of Christians.
Many say Trump was pressured by his right-wing Christian base in the US to carry out the recent attacks in Nigeria. But what could be the fallout on the African country with a highly complex religious makeup?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Malik Samuel – Senior researcher at Good Governance Africa
Ebenezer Obadare – Senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations
David Otto – Deputy director of counterterrorism training at the International Academy for the Fight Against Terrorism
Published On 27 Dec 2025