By Sabiu Abdullahi
United States President Donald Trump has claimed that recent American military operations in Nigeria helped reduce attacks against Christian communities by terrorist groups.
Trump made the remarks during a live event on Saturday monitored by SaharaReporters. He said the U.S. military carried out heavy strikes against terrorists accused of attacking Christian populations in Nigeria.
“As you know, we recently struck Nigeria and largely ended the slaughter of great Christian populations,” Trump said.
The American president alleged that before the operation, thousands of Christians, including women, children and elderly people, had lost their lives in attacks.
“They have a great Christian population that were being butchered. Butchered. Thousands and thousands who were being killed — children, women, old people just being slaughtered, hacked to death,” he stated.
Trump said the strikes weakened the terrorists and forced them to pull back because of fears of stronger military action from the United States.
“They know that if they go further, the attack will be far greater and they don’t want to really get involved anymore so much,” Trump claimed.
He further stated that American forces killed senior leaders of the group during the operation.
“You know, we hit them very hard. We knocked out their leader, we knocked out their second leader, and their third leader,” he said.
Trump compared the Nigeria operation to recent American actions against Iran. He insisted that Washington would continue using force against threats it considers dangerous.
“Sounds a little bit like Iran actually. That’s all about the different cause we have to do because we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let it happen,” he said.
The U.S. president said protecting Christians formed part of his administration’s foreign policy priorities.
“So I’m saving Christians throughout the world even though we are not in those various countries where you read about,” Trump said.
He also warned that extremist ideologies abroad could eventually threaten the United States if they are not confronted.
“They would like to make our country just like those countries. That’s where they started. They started it right where we are right now,” he said.
Trump added that his administration would continue targeting terrorist leaders across the world.
“I’m saving them by hitting these terrorists very violently and very hard. We are hitting them very hard by the greatest weapons on earth, taking them out. We know where they are and we hunt them down and we take them out,” he stated.
Describing attacks on rural communities, Trump said, “Think of that, they go into a village and just kill everybody. It’s crazy.”
He also linked terrorism to what he described as threats against religious freedom.
“They will close your churches in this country. They go Communist and they’re trying to. They will kill your people. And that’s what they’re about. They want to end religion,” he added.
Trump, however, did not disclose the exact locations of the alleged military strikes in Nigeria or identify the terrorist organisation involved.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters reported on Friday that the United States reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening defence cooperation with Nigeria in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.
The assurance came during a visit by the Commander of the United States Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA), Major General Claude Tudor, to the Headquarters of Operation HADIN KAI in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Military authorities said the visit focused on improving existing security cooperation and strategic partnership between Nigeria and the United States.
