A United States congressman, Riley Moore, has expressed concern over reports of threats against Christians in Nigeria, citing statements attributed to an Islamic State–linked group and describing the situation as religious persecution.In a post on X on Thursday night, Moore said ongoing arguments about the motives behind attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria should no longer persist. He argued that recent developments clearly showed Christians were being targeted because of their faith.
Moore was reacting to posts that circulated earlier in the day on X, which claimed that the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) released an image showing a Christian village in Adamawa State engulfed in flames. The posts alleged that the image was accompanied by a message declaring Christians in Nigeria as legitimate targets, while offering them the option to “spare their blood” by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP.
Referring to those claims, Moore wrote that ISIS was telling Christians they could avoid death if they converted, but insisted that believers would not renounce their faith.He also pointed to United States cooperation with Nigerian authorities, stating that President Donald Trump was working with the Nigerian government to confront Islamic extremists and protect Christians.
About a week earlier, President Trump announced that he had ordered US airstrikes against terrorist groups operating in parts of Nigeria. In a statement on X, Trump said the strikes targeted ISIS elements in northwest Nigeria who, according to him, had been responsible for widespread killings of Christians. While Trump did not specify the exact locations of the strikes, the United States Africa Command later confirmed that they took place in Sokoto State.On Friday, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the airstrikes, noting that the country remained engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States, to combat terrorism and violent extremism. The ministry said the collaboration had resulted in precision strikes on terrorist targets in the North-West.
In a separate statement signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the federal government clarified that the strikes were directed at terrorist staging grounds. The statement said the operation was carried out in close coordination with the US government and targeted two major Islamic State enclaves within the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area in Sokoto State.
According to the government, intelligence reports indicated that the locations were being used as assembly and staging points by foreign ISIS fighters entering Nigeria from the Sahel region. The strikes were carried out between 12:12 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. on December 26, following presidential approval and under Nigeria’s security command structure. The government disclosed that 16 GPS-guided munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned platforms launched from maritime locations in the Gulf of Guinea. Although debris from the operation fell in parts of Sokoto and Kwara states, authorities confirmed that no civilian casualties were recorded.
Source: https://punchng.com/
