United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has disclosed that President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to prioritize the protection of Christians in Nigeria who have been targeted by ISIS-linked terrorist groups.
Hegseth made the revelation during a press conference at the White House on Wednesday, stating that Trump issued the directive about a year ago after becoming aware of the attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria.
“Maybe a year ago, he heard the call of Nigerian Christians who were being targeted and killed by ISIS in Nigeria, and he said, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to focus on ensuring that we do everything we can to protect those Christians,’” Hegseth said.
According to him, the directive led to extensive behind-the-scenes military coordination and deployment of assets aimed at combating ISIS operatives in Nigeria.
“And we got the assets there, and over the last month, and there hasn’t been much coverage of this, we killed ISIS number two in Nigeria, who’s most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the U.S. homeland,” he stated.
Hegseth
explained that intelligence gathered during the operation contributed to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as ISIS’s second-in-command in Nigeria, during a joint operation involving United States and Nigerian forces in the Lake Chad Basin.The operation, which took place earlier this month in northeast Nigeria, was reportedly carried out through close cooperation between the U.S. and Nigerian militaries.
The U.S. defense chief further revealed that intelligence obtained from the mission had led to subsequent operations against ISIS fighters linked to attacks on Christians and threats against American interests.
“And have since, because of the intel we gathered, killed hundreds of ISIS members who were targeting and killing Christians in Nigeria,” he added.
Hegseth said the operation underscored the Trump administration’s commitment to counterterrorism efforts and the protection of vulnerable communities around the world.
“So there are a lot of things we do that the media pays attention to, and a lot of things that the president empowers the department to do on behalf of the American people that he deserves great credit for,” Hegseth said.
