The U.S. President commented on the situation on his social media platform Truth Social, stating: "I warned these terrorists about the consequences if they did not stop attacking Christians. They paid a high price today." He added that under his leadership, America would not allow radical Islamic terrorism to flourish.
In early November, Trump spoke about various military action options in Nigeria, including the deployment of troops and airstrikes. In December, he also imposed a partial travel ban on Nigerian citizens.
In early December, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, announced a state of emergency in the country related to mass kidnappings. He also ordered the recruitment of additional personnel for the army and police.
Recently, several attacks on educational institutions and temples occurred in Nigeria. In particular, on November 21, armed men seized St. Mary's Catholic School in Niger State, kidnapping 215 students and 12 teachers.
The U.S. accused Nigerian authorities of not taking sufficient measures to protect Christians from rebel attacks. Donald Trump openly considered the possibility of a military operation in response to these events.
Nigerian authorities deny that Christianity in the country is under threat of extinction. The Vatican also responded to the situation, with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the chief diplomat of the Holy See, supporting the position of the Nigerian government. He stated that the current violence in Nigeria is not of a religious nature but is a social conflict affecting all religious groups.
