Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has urged the Federal Government to extend its joint military operations with the United States against terrorist hideouts to the North-East, citing the ongoing presence of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the region.
Ndume made this appeal on Saturday in a statement, commending the recent military airstrikes conducted against ISWAP cells in the Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army stated that broadening the scope of joint military operations to the North-East would significantly weaken the insurgent groups operating there, particularly ISWAP and Boko Haram.
He said, “We welcome this cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in targeting terrorists’ hideouts. I am calling on them to extend it to the North-East, where ISWAP and Boko Haram have their three known black spots: Lake Chad, Mandara Mountain, and Sambisa, which are exclusive strongholds of ISWAP and Boko Haram.
“I also want to suggest that the military cooperation with the United States should extend to ground troops in training, intelligence, and logistics. They should also back it up with attack helicopter support for ground troops.”
The former Senate Chief Whip praised President Bola Tinubu for allocating what he referred to as the highest budgetary provision to the defense sector in the proposed 2026 budget, while emphasizing the necessity for accountability and transparency in the utilization of these funds.
In response to the recent suicide bomb attack on a mosque in Gamboru, Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, which reportedly resulted in five fatalities and numerous injuries, the lawmaker expressed his sympathy for the victims and their families.
“I also sympathise with the bomb blast victims in Borno State, where many people were killed and injured. The incident in the mosque in Gamboru is a clear indication that the terrorists don’t care about religion.
“In this instance, on the eve of Christmas, all the victims were Muslims. So, the narrative of Christian genocide doesn’t exist. The terrorists making life unbearable for our people are blind to religion,” he stated.
Ndume’s comments coincide with a renewed international focus on Nigeria’s security challenges following the confirmation by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, that American forces conducted an airstrike targeting suspected terrorist elements in Nigeria.
US officials reported that the operation was executed based on shared intelligence and in coordination with the Nigerian government, as part of ongoing efforts to degrade extremist groups operating within the country.
Nigeria has faced multiple security crises for over a decade, including a prolonged insurgency by Boko Haram and ISWAP in the North-East, as well as widespread banditry in the North-West, leading to thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions.
Although the United States has consistently supported Nigeria through intelligence sharing, training, and military assistance, direct US airstrikes on Nigerian territory are rare and often draw public scrutiny.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that Nigeria provided the intelligence that led to the US strike and formally approved the operation prior to its execution.
Tuggar disclosed this on Friday during an interview on Channels Television, a day after the United States confirmed the strike, noting that the operation was part of sustained security cooperation between both countries and was not driven by religious concerns.
