President Donald Trump announced Thursday that American forces had delivered on his “hell to pay” promise to ISIS militants in northwest Nigeria, targeting what he described as “terrorist scum” attacking Christian populations. The Christmas Day operation fulfilled explicit warnings the president had made to terrorists.
The strikes came after Trump characterized violence against Nigerian Christians in October and November as an “existential threat” and potential “genocide.” The president had specifically warned that if terrorists didn’t stop the slaughter, “there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” demonstrating that his threats were not rhetorical.
Trump’s announcement detailed that the Department of War executed “numerous perfect strikes” against militants who had been systematically killing innocent Christians. He emphasized that only the United States possesses such military capabilities and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to preventing radical Islamic terrorism from flourishing.
The Nigerian Foreign Ministry confirmed the military action as part of ongoing security cooperation between the two countries. This collaboration involves intelligence sharing and strategic planning to combat terrorism and violent extremism. Nigerian officials made clear that their government opposes terrorist violence against all religious communities, whether Christian or Muslim.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed gratitude to Nigeria for enabling the strikes and indicated that additional operations could follow. He noted that ISIS had learned consequences on Christmas and stated that the Department of War remains “always ready.” The Pentagon released video footage showing weaponry being deployed from warships. While Nigerian President Bola Ahmed has cooperated with the security operation, he has also stressed that Nigeria’s constitution protects citizens of all faiths and that the country maintains its commitment to religious tolerance.