Dare Babalola
A United States congressman, Riley Moore, has stated that US airstrikes in Sokoto State thwarted potential Christmas attacks in Nigeria, a stark contrast to past years where the country witnessed deadly militant strikes on Christians.
In a Saturday post on X, Congressman Moore highlighted that while Christians in Nigeria were victims of violence on past Christmas seasons, this year’s response was focused on targeting extremist groups.
“For the past two Christmases, Christians have been murdered in Nigeria. This year, thanks to @POTUS, Radical Islamic Terrorists were on the receiving end of 12 Tomahawk missiles as a present.
“The successful strikes on ISIS, in coordination with the Nigerian government, are just the first step to secure the country and end the slaughter of our brothers and sisters in Christ,” Moore wrote.
Recall that the US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that US forces conducted deadly strikes against Islamic State terrorists in Northwestern Nigeria, and vowed more attacks if the militants keep killing Christians.
The president stated this on his Truth Social platform, adding that the Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes.
The FG confirmed the airstrikes on Friday.
In 2023, reports on Christmas Eve said at least 140 people were killed and others were missing after gunmen carried out a series of attacks on remote villages in Plateau State.
In 2024, separate reports said herdsmen attacked a cluster of five predominantly Christian villages in Benue State on Christmas Day, killing at least 33 people.
