Former Senate Leader and lawmaker representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to expand the ongoing intensified joint military operations with the United States to the North-East, where Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) remain active.
Ndume made the appeal on Saturday while reacting to reports of US-led airstrikes said to have targeted ISIS cells in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
He insisted that similar coordinated operations should be replicated in areas where insurgents still operate “with deadly impunity.”
The strikes were reportedly revealed on Truth Social by former United States President Donald Trump, who claimed multiple precision attacks were carried out against terror cells. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, later confirmed the development, stating that the operation was conducted with Nigeria’s consent and intelligence cooperation, and did not violate the country’s sovereignty or target any religious group.
Ndume, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, welcomed the cooperation but warned that failure to extend it to the North-East would leave already vulnerable communities exposed.
“We welcome this cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in targeting terrorist hideouts. 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 said.
The lawmaker also advocated deeper military collaboration beyond airstrikes, urging enhanced training, intelligence sharing, logistics support, and the deployment of attack helicopters to strengthen Nigerian troops struggling to secure reclaimed territories.
While commending President Tinubu for prioritising defence in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, Ndume stressed the need for transparency and accountability.
“This government has done well by prioritising defence in the budget. But spending must be monitored. The money must be used for what it is meant for,” he added.
Responding to the recent mosque attack in Gamboru, Maiduguri, which left several worshippers dead and others injured, Ndume commiserated with affected families, stating that the assault shows terrorists aim to destabilise communities rather than pursue a religious war.
He noted that all victims in the incident were Muslims, stressing that the narrative of religious genocide does not align with the realities of the attacks.
Security agencies are yet to provide full details of ongoing operations, but calls for broader regional coverage continue to intensify amid persistent insurgent activities in the North-East.