Ndume Seeks Expansion of Nigeria–US Joint Military Operations to North-East to Crush ISWAP, Boko Haram
Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has urged the Federal Government to extend its ongoing joint military operations with the United States against terrorist hideouts to the North-East region to further weaken insurgent networks.
Ndume made the call in a statement on Saturday while commending the recent U.S.-backed strikes on Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) cells in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The operation was announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform, describing the strikes as “precise and successful”. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, also confirmed the exercise, explaining that the offensive was conducted with Nigeria’s full cooperation, approval and intelligence support. He stressed that the action neither violated Nigeria’s sovereignty nor targeted any religious group.
Ndume, who chairs the Senate Committee on Army, said replicating the operation in the North-East would significantly degrade the capabilities of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram, who still operate from strategic locations.
“We welcome this cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in targeting terrorist hideouts,” he said. “I am calling on both countries to extend it to the North-East, where ISWAP and Boko Haram maintain three known strongholds — Lake Chad, the Mandara Mountains and the Sambisa Forest.”
He further advocated enhanced military collaboration through training support, intelligence sharing, logistics backing for ground troops and deployment of attack helicopters.
The lawmaker commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allocating the highest defence budget in Nigeria’s history in the proposed 2026 appropriation bill but stressed the need for transparency and strict accountability in managing security funds.
Speaking on the recent suicide bomb attack at a mosque in Gamboru, Maiduguri, Borno State, which claimed five lives and injured many, Ndume expressed deep sympathy to the affected families, noting that the incident reinforced the fact that terrorists recognise no religion.
“The Gamboru attack, which happened on the eve of Christmas and claimed only Muslim victims, shows these terrorists are not driven by faith. They simply thrive on destroying lives,” he said.
Ndume reiterated his call for intensified counterterrorism efforts to restore peace and stability across the North-East.
About The Author
