The possibility of American ground troops being deployed to Nigeria is now under consideration, a senior Nigerian official has indicated, following controversial US airstrikes against ISIS targets in the country ordered by President Donald Trump on Christmas Day.
Strikes Spark Deployment Debate
Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar confirmed that his government has not ruled out collaborating with American troops on the ground, an option President Trump has floated in recent weeks. When questioned by CNN about Trump's threats to send in the US military 'guns-a-blazing', Tuggar stated the issue was one for the Nigerian government to 'consider'.
The Pentagon clarified on Thursday that the Nigerian government had both approved and collaborated with the US military to execute the strikes. However, Minister Tuggar strongly contested President Trump's justification for the action.
Trump claimed the 'powerful and deadly' strike was necessary because ISIS terrorists in Nigeria were 'targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.' Tuggar rejected this religious framing of the conflict, asserting the action 'would show clearly that it is a strike against terrorism ... and that it is not to do with religion, is to do with protecting Nigerians and innocent lives.'
Conflict Framing and Congressional Reaction
'When you try to reduce it to just say, ‘Oh, no, it’s Muslims killing Christians in Nigeria,’ you see how you can get it completely wrong. It’s a regional conflict,' Tuggar told Channels Television on Friday.
The Christmas Day operation, which the US Department of Defense confirmed targeted multiple militants at known ISIS camps, has elicited a mixed reaction in Washington. Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell criticised the lack of information provided to Congress, calling it a 'continuing pattern' and insisting that Congress 'needs to be making a lot of these decisions about escalating.'
In contrast, Republican Senator Tom Cotton, a former army officer and chair of the Senate intelligence committee, praised the strikes. 'I commend President Trump, Secretary Hegseth, and our brave troops for these strikes against bloodthirsty ISIS savages who are not only persecuting Christians, but also have killed many Americans,' he wrote on social media platform X.
Official Statements and Ongoing Violence
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, President Trump declared, 'Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria.' He warned radicals would continue to 'pay for the persecution of Christians,' signing off with: 'May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.'
Nigeria's foreign ministry stated the strikes were conducted as part of existing security cooperation with the United States, involving intelligence sharing and strategic coordination. President Bola Tinubu's administration has said it 'welcomes' the US assistance.
The situation underscores the complex and protracted security crisis in Nigeria, which has been roiled by violence since the jihadist insurgency of Boko Haram began in the northeast in 2009. The potential for a deeper US military involvement now appears to be a live political issue for both nations.
