Senator Ali Ndume Urges US-Nigeria Military Collaboration Against Boko Haram and ISWAP in North-East

Former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to expand US-led military cooperation to Nigeria’s insurgency-hit North-East. Speaking after recent airstrikes against ISIS cells in Sokoto State, Ndume urged similar operations in Boko Haram and ISWAP strongholds, including Lake Chad, Mandara Mountains, and Sambisa Forest. He emphasized the need for deeper collaboration through intelligence sharing, training, and deployment of attack helicopters, while stressing that budgeted defence funds must be transparently and effectively used. Ndume also condemned a recent mosque attack in Gamboru, highlighting that terrorists target communities indiscriminately, regardless of religion.

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth Thanks Nigeria for Cooperation in Christmas Day Counterterrorism Operation

United States War Secretary Pete Hegseth has expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for its cooperation in the recent US-led airstrikes against terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West region. The strikes, conducted on Christmas Day, were part of broader counterterrorism operations following Nigeria’s designation as a "Country of Particular Concern" by former President Donald Trump. Hegseth highlighted the importance of Nigeria’s support in ensuring the operation’s success and emphasized that extremists were confronted with the consequences of continued violence. Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar confirmed that President Bola Tinubu personally approved the strikes, stressing that the operations were joint, aimed at combating terrorism, and not targeting any religion. The collaborative efforts underscore growing US-Nigeria military cooperation amid heightened security challenges in the North-West.