United States Congressman Riley Moore has said President Donald Trump is prepared to go after terrorists responsible for attacks on Christians in Nigeria, following a reported joint operation that killed a senior Islamic State commander. The statement has reignited debate around foreign involvement in Nigeria’s security challenges.
Moore speaks on ISIS operation
Moore made the comments during a television interview on NewsNation, where he referenced the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as one of ISIS’s top global commanders.
He said the operation reflected a stronger posture by Washington against extremist groups operating across Africa, particularly those linked to violence against civilians.
According to him, the strike sends a clear message to terror networks that the United States is actively monitoring and responding to threats in the region.
Trump’s alleged focus on Nigeria security concerns
Moore also claimed that Trump had shown personal interest in reports of violence affecting Christian communities in Nigeria.
He stated that the former US president had asked for closer examination of the situation, prompting visits by members of the House Appropriations Committee to assess conditions on the ground.
He added that findings from those engagements were later shared with the White House, with recommendations on how to strengthen protection for vulnerable communities.
US and Nigeria security cooperation
The lawmaker further noted that cooperation between the United States and Nigeria on counterterrorism is not new, tracing it back to the rise of Boko Haram in the mid-2010s.
He explained that recent developments only reinforced the need for continued collaboration, especially in the Lake Chad region where extremist groups remain active.
Nigerian defence authorities had earlier confirmed that the recent operation was intelligence-driven and carried out jointly with US support, targeting a key terrorist structure in the northeast.
Security officials also linked the killed ISIS commander to weapons production, drone coordination and propaganda activities within the group’s global network.
The development comes amid renewed international attention on Nigeria’s security landscape and the ongoing fight against insurgency across parts of the country.