United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has revealed that President Donald Trump instructed the Pentagon to place priority on protecting Christians in Nigeria facing attacks from ISIS-linked extremist groups.
Hegseth disclosed this during a press briefing at the White House on Wednesday, stating that the directive was issued roughly a year ago after Trump was informed about the killings and persecution of Christians in parts of Nigeria.
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According to him, the mission involved extensive intelligence sharing, strategic coordination and the deployment of military resources. He noted that information gathered during the operation contributed to the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-highest ranking ISIS commander, in a joint operation carried out by American and Nigerian forces in the Lake Chad region.
“About a year ago, the President became aware of the plight of Nigerian Christians who were being attacked and killed by ISIS elements, and he directed the Department of Defense to ensure every possible effort was made to protect them,” Hegseth said.
He explained that the operation recorded major successes in counterterrorism efforts across the region.
“We deployed the necessary assets, and over the last month — though it received little media attention — we successfully neutralised ISIS’s number two leader in Nigeria, who was heavily involved in attacks against Christians and threats targeting the U.S. homeland,” he stated.
Hegseth further disclosed that intelligence obtained from the operation led to the killing of several other ISIS operatives connected to violent attacks in Nigeria and plots against the United States.
He added that hundreds of ISIS fighters involved in targeting Christian communities in Nigeria had also been eliminated through follow-up operations based on gathered intelligence.
The U.S. defense chief described the mission as part of the broader counterterrorism agenda of the Trump administration and its commitment to protecting vulnerable populations.
“There are many actions carried out by the Department of Defense that do not always make headlines, but the President has empowered us to act decisively on behalf of the American people, and he deserves recognition for that,” Hegseth added.
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as ISIS’s second-in-command, was reportedly killed earlier this month during a coordinated military operation involving U.S. and Nigerian troops in northeastern Nigeria.
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