United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, has disclosed that former President Donald Trump instructed the Pentagon to place special emphasis on protecting Christians in Nigeria allegedly targeted by ISIS-linked militants.
Hegseth made the statement on Wednesday during a press briefing at the White House, noting that the directive was issued about a year ago after Trump was informed of attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria.
According to him, Trump personally tasked the Department of War to intensify efforts to safeguard vulnerable populations.
“He heard the cries of Nigerian Christians who were being attacked and killed by ISIS in Nigeria, and he told me, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to do everything possible to protect those Christians,’” Hegseth said.
He explained that the directive led to coordinated military planning and deployment of intelligence-backed operations.
“We positioned the necessary assets, and over the past month—though it has not received much media attention—we eliminated ISIS’s number two figure in Nigeria, who was heavily involved in attacks on Christians and threats against the U.S. homeland,” he added.
Hegseth identified the slain militant as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of ISIS in the region. He said the operation was jointly carried out by U.S. and Nigerian forces in the Lake Chad Basin.
He further stated that intelligence gathered from the mission contributed to a wider offensive that led to the killing of several ISIS operatives.
“Based on the intelligence we recovered, hundreds of ISIS fighters involved in attacks on Christians in Nigeria have since been neutralised,” he said.
The defence chief maintained that the operation reflects the Trump administration’s broader counterterrorism strategy and commitment to protecting civilians in conflict zones.
“There are many operations the public does not hear about, but the President has empowered the department to act decisively in defence of the American people and others at risk,” Hegseth added.