The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering the Nigerian Armed Forces to effectively tackle the country’s persistent security challenges.
Vice President Kashim Shettima restated the resolve of President Bola Tinubu during a special Jumma’a Prayer held at the National Mosque in Abuja, ahead of the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day.
The annual observance was recently renamed Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day, replacing the former Armed Forces Remembrance Day, to reflect its dual purpose of honouring serving personnel while remembering fallen heroes.
Speaking at the prayer session, Shettima paid tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty, describing their sacrifices as vital to Nigeria’s unity and security.
“We honour the brave men and women who paid the supreme price in defence of our nation’s territorial integrity and the safety of our citizens,” the Vice President said.
The Federal Government’s renewed assurance comes amid controversial remarks by United States President Donald Trump, who warned of possible further air strikes in Nigeria if what he described as attacks on Christians continue.
In an interview with The New York Times, Trump was quoted by Reuters as saying that the U.S. could carry out additional military strikes if Christian killings persist.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike… But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike,” Trump said.
The comments followed a Christmas Day military operation in northwest Nigeria, which the U.S. military said targeted Islamic State militants at the request of the Nigerian government.
Nigeria, however, maintained that the operation was a joint effort against terrorists and was not religiously motivated.
“The strike had nothing to do with a particular religion. It was aimed at terrorists,” Nigerian authorities said at the time.
When asked about claims that Islamist insurgents kill more Muslims than Christians, Trump responded:
“I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians.”
In late October, Trump had warned that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria and threatened military intervention over what he described as the government’s failure to protect Christian communities.
The Federal Government has consistently rejected claims of systematic persecution of Christians, stressing that both Muslims and Christians have been victims of insurgency, banditry and kidnappings across the country.
Officials insist that Nigeria’s security crisis is driven by terrorism and criminality, not religious targeting.
