* Senator Ali Ndume
The Pathfinder
Sunday December 28, 2025
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A former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has called on the Federal Government and the United States to expand their joint military operations against terrorist groups to Nigeria’s North-East, citing the continued activities of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the region.
Ndume made the call on Saturday while reacting to recent airstrikes carried out against ISWAP enclaves in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State. He commended the operation and described the cooperation between Nigeria and the United States as timely and strategic.
The former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army said extending the joint military action to the North-East would significantly weaken insurgent groups, noting that ISWAP and Boko Haram still maintain strongholds in key locations.
“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 known black spots—Lake Chad, Mandara Mountains and Sambisa Forest, which are exclusive strongholds of these groups,” Ndume said.
He also urged that the collaboration should go beyond airstrikes to include training of ground troops, intelligence sharing, logistics support and the deployment of attack helicopters to back troops on the ground.
Ndume praised President Bola Tinubu for allocating what he described as the highest budgetary provision to the defence sector in the proposed 2026 budget but stressed the importance of accountability and transparency in the utilisation of the funds.
Reacting to the recent suicide bomb attack on a mosque in Gamboru, Maiduguri, Borno State, which reportedly left at least five people dead and several others injured, the lawmaker expressed sympathy to the victims and their families.
“The incident at the mosque in Gamboru shows clearly that terrorists do not care about religion. On the eve of Christmas, the victims were Muslims. This proves that the narrative of Christian genocide does not exist. These terrorists are blind to religion and are simply making life unbearable for our people,” he said.
Ndume’s comments come amid renewed global attention on Nigeria’s security situation following confirmation by United States President, Donald Trump, that American forces carried out airstrikes on suspected terrorist targets in Nigeria.
US officials said the operation was based on shared intelligence and carried out in coordination with the Nigerian government as part of ongoing efforts to degrade extremist networks.
Nigeria has faced multiple security challenges for more than a decade, including insurgency in the North-East and widespread banditry in the North-West, resulting in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions.
While the United States has long supported Nigeria through intelligence sharing, training and military assistance, direct US airstrikes on Nigerian territory remain rare and often attract public scrutiny.
However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that Nigeria provided the intelligence that led to the US strike and formally approved the operation before it was carried out, stressing that it was part of sustained security cooperation and not driven by religious considerations.
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