United States President Donald Trump has disclosed why he authorised an airstrike in Sokoto State, Nigeria, on Christmas Day, saying the timing was deliberately chosen to send a strong message to extremist groups.
Trump made the revelation on Thursday while speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., where he addressed issues of religious persecution and global security.
According to him, the operation was aimed at dismantling Islamic State (ISIS) fighters allegedly responsible for large-scale killings of Christians in Nigeria.
He said the airstrikes were intended to deliver a decisive blow to the militants and leave them disoriented.
“I ordered powerful airstrikes to wipe out ISIS terrorists who have been slaughtering Christians in that country by the thousands. It’s almost unbelievable,” Trump said.
He explained that although the operation was initially planned for another date, he personally insisted it be carried out on Christmas Day to maximise its symbolic impact.
“We were going to do it on a different day, but I said no—do it on Christmas so they really understand. We hit them so hard they still don’t know what happened,” he added.
Trump linked the decision to his long-standing rhetoric about restoring the public use of the word Christmas, recalling his 2015 presidential campaign.
“When I announced my run back in 2015, I said we were going to bring back Christmas. At the time, people barely used the word anymore. We brought it back, and we’re using it again,” he stated.
He further revealed that the strike was executed in collaboration with the Nigerian government, noting that both countries worked closely during the operation.
“On Christmas Day, we acted in close coordination with the government of Nigeria. We worked together, though they need to take an even tougher stance,” Trump said.
Trump also claimed he gave clear instructions to senior officials to ensure the operation took place exactly on Christmas Day.
“I specifically told Pete to hit them on Christmas—no earlier, no later. And he delivered. We struck them again recently and hit them hard,” he added.
The comments have sparked renewed debate over U.S. military involvement in Nigeria and Trump’s repeated claims regarding religiously motivated violence in the country.
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