A former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Segun Sowunmi, has criticised the timing of international intervention in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, describing it as belated.
The PDP chieftain spoke as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, reflecting on recent U.S. airstrikes targeting militant groups in northwestern Nigeria.
“I felt that the world came in a little bit too late. The security resources available to the world suggest that they have eyes in the skies already, and many countries have the capability.
“So, you must have to thank the United States that when the chips were really down… Britain, which should ordinarily have a bigger interest, didn’t say anything. China, which has also been active here with various projects, said nothing. America said something, and Donald Trump said, ‘This is getting too much; we are going to do something,” Sowunmi said.
READ ALSO: US Military Strikes ISIS Terrorists In Nigeria On Trump’s Orders
He added that the situation is grim for Nigerians, likening the loss of terrorists to watching wayward children being killed.
“Thankfully, he (Trump) didn’t just come into the country without our security infrastructure. Otherwise, if he had stayed in the Gulf of Guinea and fired missiles without consulting the Nigerian government and people, what military capabilities do we even have for deterrence?
“I think Nigerians, both Muslims and Christians, need to understand this is not a happy moment.”
Sowunmi also advised that Nigeria would be better off describing terrorism as criminality rather than ethnicising or religiously framing it.
U.S. Airstrikes
On Thursday, December 25, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes against targets linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) in Sokoto State, northwestern Nigeria.
The operation, conducted shortly after midnight on Christmas Day, was described by Trump as a “Christmas present” to militants.
The strikes targeted suspected militant camps in forested areas of the Tangaza district near the Niger border. U.S. forces reportedly deployed 12 to 16 Tomahawk missiles launched from naval assets in the Gulf of Guinea, supported by MQ-9 Reaper drones for surveillance and precision strikes.
Trump claimed the airstrikes “decimated” the targeted camps, with both U.S. and Nigerian officials reporting numerous militant casualties.
However, there are no confirmed terrorist casualties.
Trump justified the strikes as a response to what he described as a “genocide” against Christians in Nigeria, claiming attacks had reached unprecedented levels.
This followed the U.S. decision in November 2025 to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) and impose visa restrictions on Nigerian nationals.
While the Nigerian government confirmed its cooperation in providing intelligence for the mission, Trump announced the strikes on social media before Nigeria could issue an official statement.
Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar noted that he and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had agreed on a joint announcement, which was bypassed by Washington. Nigerian officials emphasised that the operation was not religiously motivated and targeted terrorist organisations broadly, including groups such as Lakurawa.
Recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the situation during his Christmas message, condemning “militant assaults” and the “persecution” of Christians in Nigeria.
He called for an immediate end to attacks and displacement of Christian communities, presenting Israel as a “safe haven” where Christians can practise their faith freely.
Shortly after, President Bola Tinubu spoke about foreign security cooperation during a meeting with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Lagos on Friday.
He revealed that Nigeria had sought military assistance from Turkey to address security challenges more urgently, as military hardware ordered from the United States, including four attack helicopters, would take time to arrive.