Ali Ndume, a former Senate Leader and the senator representing Borno South, has urged the federal government to expand ongoing joint military operations between Nigeria and the United States to the country’s North-East, citing the persistent threat posed by terrorist groups in the region.
Ndume made the call on Saturday, December 27, while applauding recent U.S. airstrikes on Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) cells in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State. The strikes were announced by U.S. President Donald Trump via his Truth Social platform, where he said the U.S. Department of War carried out “numerous precision strikes.”
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, later confirmed the operation, noting that it was carried out with Nigeria’s full cooperation, approval, and intelligence support. He emphasised that the strikes did not infringe on Nigeria’s sovereignty and were not directed at any religious group.
A former chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Ndume said extending the joint operations to the North-East would deal a major blow to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram.
“We welcome this cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in targeting terrorist hideouts,” Ndume said. “I am calling on both governments to extend it to the North-East, where ISWAP and Boko Haram maintain three major strongholds—Lake Chad, the Mandara Mountains, and the Sambisa Forest.”
He further called for deeper military collaboration between both countries, including improved training, intelligence sharing, logistics support, and the deployment of attack helicopters to back Nigerian troops on the ground.
Ndume also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allocating the largest share of the 2026 Appropriation Bill to defence, while stressing the importance of transparency and accountability in the use of the funds.
Reacting to a recent suicide bombing at a mosque in Gamboru, Maiduguri, which left five people dead and several others injured, the senator expressed sympathy for the victims and their families.
“The attack in Gamboru is a clear reminder that terrorists have no regard for religion. In this case, all the victims were Muslims,” Ndume said. “This shows clearly that the narrative of a Christian genocide does not exist. These terrorists are simply making life unbearable for our people, regardless of faith.”
