By Palang Paul
United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, says the absence of large-scale Christmas attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria this year is linked to recent US military airstrikes against Islamist militants operating in the country.
According to Moore, previous Christmas seasons were marked by deadly attacks on Christians, but this year saw a noticeable reduction in violence following coordinated military action by the United States and Nigeria.
He attributed the development to strikes carried out against Islamic State (ISIS) elements.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Moore stated that for the past two years, Christians had been killed during Christmas celebrations in Nigeria.
He added that the situation changed this year after US forces launched missile strikes on what he described as radical Islamist terrorists.
The congressman said the operation, which reportedly involved Tomahawk missiles, was carried out under the leadership of US President Donald Trump.
He described the strikes as an initial step toward restoring security and ending attacks on Christian communities across the country.
Moore’s comments came after President Trump announced that American forces had conducted airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in northwestern Nigeria. The president warned that further military action would follow if militants continued attacks on Christians.
Trump disclosed the operation via his Truth Social account, stating that US forces carried out what he described as “numerous precision strikes” against terrorist targets.
Nigeria’s federal government later confirmed that it had approved and participated in a joint operation with the United States, targeting suspected ISIS camps in Sokoto State.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the strikes were authorised by President Bola Tinubu and executed with the involvement of Nigerian security agencies.
According to the government, the airstrikes hit two major ISIS enclaves located in the Bauni forest area of Tangaza Local Government Area.
Intelligence reports indicated that the camps were being used by foreign ISIS fighters entering Nigeria from the Sahel region in collaboration with local affiliates to plan major attacks.
The operation reportedly took place between 12:12 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. on Friday, December 26, 2025, following extensive intelligence gathering and operational planning. Idris said the strikes were conducted under established command structures and supervised by senior defence and foreign affairs officials, including the Chief of Defence Staff.
He further explained that the strikes were launched from maritime platforms in the Gulf of Guinea, using MQ-9 Reaper drones equipped with GPS-guided precision munitions. A total of 16 munitions were deployed, successfully neutralising the targeted terrorist elements.
The government acknowledged that debris from the operation fell in parts of Tambuwal Local Government Area in Sokoto State and in Offa, Kwara State, near a hotel.
However, authorities said no civilian casualties were recorded and that the affected areas were immediately secured.
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