"Nigeria "must do more to protect Christians," a senior U.S. State Department official demanded on Jan. 22, 2026, during a high-level security meeting in the African nation's capital, Abuja. The comment followed an attack just days earlier in which more than 160 worshipers were kidnapped from three churches in Nigeria's northern Kaduna state. The security meeting came a month after the United States, in cooperation with the Nigerian government, launched an airstrike from a U.S. Navy ship in the Gulf of Guinea"
"During the Christmas Day incident, 16 Tomahawk missiles costing around US$32 million hit several locations the U.S. claimed were being used by extremist groups. There were no verifiable casualties, although the strike did send a signal that the U.S. administration is willing to take military action when it is deemed necessary. President Donald Trump heralded the attack a " Christmas present" to Christians and later warned that there would be more strikes if the killings of Christians continued."
"As a scholar of African politics, I know that calling the insurgency in Nigeria a persecution of Christians - as the U.S. administration has repeatedly done - is simplistic and ill-informed. Yes, Christians have been killed and kidnapped as part of the prolonged terrorism campaign by Boko Haram and other extremist groups. But so too have other groups in the country, including Muslims. Moreover, the religious identity of the victims masks other motives of the militant groups involved."
A senior U.S. official demanded that Nigeria do more to protect Christians after over 160 worshipers were kidnapped from three Kaduna churches. The U.S., with Nigerian cooperation, launched a Christmas Day strike from a Navy ship using 16 Tomahawk missiles, targeting locations said to host extremist groups, with no verifiable casualties. President Donald Trump called the strike a "Christmas present" to Christians and warned of further strikes. The insurgency in Nigeria involves Boko Haram and other extremists who have targeted Christians and Muslims. Interviews in Maiduguri indicate the violence often unites people of different religions against the militants.
Read at The Conversation
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