Borno South Senator Ali Ndume has called on President Bola Tinubu to extend ongoing United States–Nigeria counterterrorism airstrikes to Nigeria’s North-east, warning that Boko Haram and ISWAP still control dangerous strongholds in the region. He said decisive aerial action is urgently needed to weaken the terrorists’ bases.
In a statement issued Saturday, Ndume welcomed recent joint operations between Nigeria and the United States but said the effort should not be restricted to the North-west. He stressed that the North-east remains the epicentre of insurgency, with long-established militant enclaves that continue to threaten lives and security.
According to the senator, Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province maintain key hideouts around Lake Chad, the Mandara Mountains, and the Sambisa Forest. He described these areas as exclusive terrorist strongholds that require sustained and targeted bombardment to support ground operations.
Ndume’s call followed reports of a joint US–Nigeria airstrike carried out on Christmas Day in Tangaza and Tambuwal local government areas of Sokoto State. The strikes targeted suspected ISIS-linked camps near the Nigeria–Niger border after intelligence sharing between the Nigerian military and the United States Africa Command.
US officials later confirmed that multiple militants were killed during the operation, which reportedly involved Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a US Navy ship in the Gulf of Guinea. Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, also confirmed that President Tinubu approved the strikes and authorised intelligence cooperation.
Beyond airstrikes, Ndume urged the federal government to deepen military collaboration with the United States. He called for enhanced intelligence sharing, advanced training for Nigerian troops, logistics support, and the deployment of attack helicopters to strengthen ground forces battling insurgents.
The senator also reacted to a recent suicide bombing at a mosque in Gamboru, Maiduguri, which killed at least five worshippers. He expressed sympathy to the victims’ families and said the attack showed that terrorists are indifferent to religion.
Ndume warned against politicising insecurity along religious lines, noting that all the victims of the Gamboru attack were Muslims. He said the insurgents’ violence is aimed at terrorising communities and destabilising the region, regardless of faith.
He concluded by urging swift and comprehensive action, saying expanding US-backed operations to the North-east could significantly degrade terrorist capabilities and bring relief to long-suffering communities.
