President Donald Trump is committed to ending the killing of Christians in Nigeria, according to United States Congressman Riley Moore, who said recent American air strikes were aimed at stopping persistent terrorist violence.
Moore, a member of the US House of Representatives, said the bombardment of terrorist positions in Nigeria was carefully coordinated with the Nigerian government and was not a unilateral action by Washington.
“We did this in coordination with the Nigerian government, which is very important to point out. This isn’t the United States unilaterally doing this, we are doing this in coordination with the Nigerian government to help secure their country and end the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria,” he said in a post on X.
The United States carried out air strikes on Christmas Day against two terrorist enclaves in the Bauni forest area of Tangaza Local Government Area in Sokoto State.
Moore said the action followed repeated Christmas Day attacks on Christians in Nigeria over the past two years, adding that the US response marked a turning point.
According to him, Trump’s decision to authorize the strikes was intended to send a strong message to terrorist groups operating in the country.
Sharing a clip of his interview on Fox News, the lawmaker said the operation, carried out in partnership with Nigerian authorities, was meant to “end the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria.”
“So, quite a bit different, the President is totally focused on this. He made that very clear in this attack and and this is a very good first step to addressing this issue,” he said.
“Obviously, President Trump has finally stood up to this and I do want to point out something very important: the last two Christmases, there has been a massacre of Christians in Nigeria.
“The tables have absolutely turned this year. The Islamic terrorists in Nigeria were the ones receiving that type of present this year,” he added.
Moore also criticised those opposing the air strikes, accusing them of “playing to their Islamic radical base that they now have to appease for whatever reason.”
What you should know
Nigeria has faced years of violent attacks linked to extremist groups, with Christian communities in the north and central regions frequently targeted during religious festivities.
The Christmas Day air strikes in Sokoto State marked a rare direct US military intervention against terrorist camps in Nigeria, carried out in coordination with the Nigerian government.
The action has drawn both praise and criticism internationally, reflecting broader debates around foreign military involvement, counterterrorism strategies and the protection of religious minorities.
