By Ben Ezeamalu, Idrees Ali and Daphne Psaledakis LAGOS, Dec 26 (Reuters) - By publicly cooperating with the United States on a Christmas Day airstrike, Nigeria's government may have averted humiliating unilateral military action threatened a month ago by President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump said he ordered military strikes against "ISIS terrorist scum" in Nigeria on Christmas Day.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he’d ordered a deadly strike on Islamic State terrorists in Nigeria, who he has accused of persecuting Christians in the country.

Professor Jason Johnson appeared on MS NOW Saturday, suggesting the Trump administration's strike on terror targets in Nigeria was racially motivated.

Nigeria were cruising into the round of 16 until late changes and a controversial penalty caused chaos. We assess the talking points

President Trump said "numerous perfect strikes" had hit Islamic State militants in the West African nation of Nigeria.

Trump said the United States launched Christmas night airstrikes in Nigeria targeting ISIS militants he accused of killing Christians in recent attacks.