Former senator Shehu Sani has welcomed the reported military strikes on terrorist targets in North West Nigeria as morally justified, but cautioned that long‑term peace must ultimately be secured by Nigerians themselves.
He reacted in a statement on Friday, December 26, posted on his verified X handle, after United States President Donald Trump announced that American forces had hit Islamic State elements in Northwestern Nigeria.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a separate social media post, said the action had Abuja’s backing.
“Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation,” Hegseth wrote, adding that the Department of War was “always ready.”
Responding to reports that US Africa Command described the operation as a joint effort, Sani said such action was defensible if carried out with Nigeria’s consent.
“If actually, the military strikes against the terrorists’ targets in the North Western part of Nigeria were a joint operation with the ‘Nigerian Authorities’ as posted by the US AFRICOM on their verified X handle, then it’s a conscionable action,” he said.
He described the armed groups tormenting communities in the region as a growing malignancy.
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“Terrorists have become cancerous cells in our part of the country. They live by the sword,” he said.
Sani also rejected claims that extremists only go after one religious community.
“The narrative that the evil terrorists only target one faith remains absolutely false and misleading,” he stated.
However, he stressed that foreign help has limits.
“Again, the ultimate security and peace in our country lies with ourselves and not with the US or any foreign power,” he said, adding that “They can complementarily or unilaterally strike, but they can’t eternally fight our battles.”
His remarks came after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the air operations in the North West were part of “structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America,” focused on counter‑terrorism and violent extremism.
Defence spokesperson Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba had earlier said the strikes reflected the government’s determination, alongside key allies, to confront transnational terror and prevent foreign fighters from building a base in Nigeria.
The joint action followed a bomb attack on a mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State, which killed several worshippers and wounded many others, underscoring the continuing toll of extremist violence across different communities and faiths.