Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has called on the Federal Government to expand its joint military operations with the United States against terrorist hideouts to Nigeria’s North-East, where Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) remain active.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Ndume praised the recent airstrikes carried out against ISWAP cells in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, describing them as a positive step in the fight against terrorism. He, however, stressed that similar operations are urgently needed in the North-East, which he identified as the core stronghold of insurgent groups.
According to Ndume, extending the collaboration would significantly weaken Boko Haram and ISWAP, particularly in areas such as Lake Chad, the Mandara Mountains and the Sambisa Forest, which he described as well-known terrorist enclaves.
“We welcome this cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in targeting terrorists’ hideouts,” he said. “But it should be extended to the North-East, where these groups have their major strongholds. The collaboration should also cover ground troop training, intelligence sharing, logistics and attack helicopter support for our forces.”
The former Senate Chief Whip also commended President Bola Tinubu for making what he called the highest budgetary allocation to defence in the proposed 2026 budget, while urging strict accountability and transparency in the use of the funds.
Reacting to the recent suicide bomb attack on a mosque in Gamboru, Maiduguri, which claimed several lives, Ndume expressed sympathy for the victims and their families. He said the incident clearly showed that terrorists do not discriminate based on religion.
“On the eve of Christmas, the victims were Muslims. This proves that the narrative of religious genocide is misleading. These terrorists are blind to religion and only interested in making life unbearable for Nigerians,” he said.
Ndume’s comments come amid renewed global attention on Nigeria’s security situation following confirmation by US President Donald Trump that American forces carried out an airstrike on suspected terrorist targets in Nigeria. US officials said the operation was conducted with shared intelligence and in coordination with the Nigerian government.
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Nigeria has faced persistent security challenges for over a decade, including insurgency in the North-East and banditry in the North-West, resulting in thousands of deaths and mass displacement. While the United States has long supported Nigeria through training and intelligence, direct airstrikes remain rare and often draw public debate.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has since confirmed that Nigeria provided the intelligence and formally approved the US operation, stressing that the action was part of ongoing security cooperation and not driven by religious considerations.
