United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, has disclosed that President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to prioritise the protection of Christians in Nigeria who are reportedly being targeted by ISIS-linked militants.
Hegseth made the revelation on Wednesday during a White House press briefing, stating that the directive followed reports of attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and concerns raised directly to the President.
According to him, the instruction was issued about a year ago after Trump received accounts of killings attributed to ISIS-affiliated groups operating in parts of 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.
He explained that following the directive, the Pentagon activated coordinated military measures, including intelligence support, covert coordination, and deployment of assets as part of counterterrorism operations.
Hegseth further disclosed that recent operations resulted in the killing of a senior ISIS figure in Nigeria, described as the group’s second-in-command, adding that the development marked a significant blow to the militant network.
“And we got the assets there, and over the last month… we killed ISIS number two in Nigeria, who’s most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the U.S. homeland,” he said.
He also stated that intelligence gathered from the mission supported a wider joint operation in which Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as ISIS’s deputy leader, was killed during coordinated U.S.–Nigeria military activity in the Lake Chad Basin.
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According to him, the operation took place in northeastern Nigeria earlier this month and involved joint strikes between both countries’ forces targeting insurgent positions.
Hegseth added that follow-up operations led to the killing of “hundreds” of ISIS fighters linked to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and broader threats against the United States.
“And have since, because of the intel we gathered, killed hundreds of ISIS members who were targeting and killing Christians in Nigeria,” he stated.
He described the developments as part of the Trump administration’s broader counterterrorism strategy and commitment to protecting vulnerable religious groups.
Hegseth also praised the administration’s actions, noting that several sensitive military operations have received limited public attention but were aimed at advancing U.S. national security objectives and protecting civilian populations abroad.