Former senator Shehu Sani has described the reported military airstrikes on terrorist targets in North West Nigeria as a “conscionable action,” while insisting that the country must ultimately take full responsibility for its own security.
Sani made the remarks in a statement shared via his verified X handle on Friday, reacting to comments by United States President Donald Trump, who announced that US forces had carried out deadly strikes against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists operating in Northwestern Nigeria.
“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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.
In a related post, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the operation was conducted with Nigeria’s cooperation. “Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation,” Hegseth wrote, adding that the Department of War was “always ready.”
Reacting to the development, Sani said if the strikes were indeed jointly carried out with Nigerian authorities, as indicated by the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), then the action was justified. “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.
However, the former lawmaker cautioned against overdependence on foreign powers, stressing that sustainable peace cannot be outsourced. “Again, the ultimate security and peace in our country lies with ourselves and not with the US or any foreign power,” Sani said. “They can complementarily or unilaterally strike, but they can’t eternally fight our battles.”
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He further warned that terrorist groups operating across parts of Nigeria posed a serious threat to national stability, describing them as “cancerous cells.” “Terrorists have become cancerous cells in our part of the country. They live by the sword,” he added.
Sani’s comments come amid heightened security concerns following recent airstrikes in the North West, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said were carried out under Nigeria’s “structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America,” to tackle terrorism and violent extremism.
The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, had also said the operation demonstrated the Federal Government’s resolve, working with strategic international partners, to confront transnational terrorism and prevent foreign fighters from gaining a foothold in Nigeria.
The renewed focus on counterterrorism follows a string of violent incidents nationwide, including a deadly mosque bombing in Maiduguri, Borno State, that killed several worshippers, underscoring the persistent threat posed by extremist violence across communities and religious lines.