President Tinubu Wins Trump’s Trust with Decisive Blows on Terrorists

President Tinubu Wins Trump’s Trust with Decisive Blows on Terrorists

The United States President, Donald Trump, has expressed satisfaction with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s handling of the war against terrorism in Nigeria.

Newera News gathered that President Trump pledged to continue to support the Nigerian government and also deepen the partnership between the United States and Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.

In a July 6 letter to the Nigerian leader, released yesterday in response to an earlier letter by Tinubu, Trump praised the President’s commitment.

“Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people.

“I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities, and it is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous,” Trump wrote.

The US President described relations between Washington and Abuja as critical at a time of growing insecurity across West Africa and other parts of the world, noting that both countries shared a common objective of confronting terrorism in all its forms.

According to him, the US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has provided a strong framework for expanding security collaboration between the two nations.

“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time when conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat,” he said.

Trump disclosed that the United States had deployed its Special Operations Forces to train and support the Nigerian Armed Forces with advanced skills, intelligence and operational tools required to combat terrorism and protect lives.

“I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces, among the most elite military units anywhere in the world, to equip the brave men and women of the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack. I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my presidency,” he added.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said security cooperation between the US and Nigeria had expanded significantly in recent months.

It recalled that President Tinubu and President Trump agreed in November last year to establish a Joint Working Group, co-chaired by the National Security Advisers of both countries, to coordinate counter-terrorism efforts.

According to the Presidency, the working group has facilitated enhanced military training, intelligence sharing and joint operations aimed at degrading terrorist networks operating in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region.

One of the major outcomes of the collaboration was the coordinated operation carried out on May 16 against ISIS hideouts around the Lake Chad area, during which the group’s top leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, and no fewer than 167 others were killed.

The statement also noted that the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja last week, where he held talks with senior Nigerian government officials and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Nigeria on security and other strategic areas.

Security agencies continued to intensify collaboration to tackle terrorists on all fronts.

They have also rescued hundreds of abducted persons in different parts of the country, including operations in Borno, Kaduna and Niger states, as well as the widely publicised operation in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where more than 40 teachers and pupils were rescued after being held by kidnappers in the National Park forest for 56 days.

The US Special Operations Forces deployed in Nigeria, based in Bauchi State, supported military operations in Borno during their operational tour of duty.

Enikanolaye hails Trump’s letter to Tinubu

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaye, described Trump’s letter as a recognition of President Tinubu’s leadership and the Nigerian military’s successes in the fight against terrorism.

Speaking on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) last night, he praised Tinubu’s renewed determination to defeat the terrorists and make the country safer.

Expert lauds Trump’s letter to president

International affairs expert and former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Kayode Soremekun, endorsed President Trump’s commendation of Tinubu.

He expressed hope that the Federal Government would continue to build on the current security offensive against terrorists.

“The hope is that we will also begin to take a fresh look at the nation’s security architecture.

“It is an architecture in which there is, at the moment, too much over-centralisation, and this can easily be remedied by the ongoing efforts to put in place state police.

“The hope is that we will not experience what can be called the potential downside of state policing because, with state police in place, it will be easier for both the Federal and state authorities to contain the menace of terrorism and banditry,” he said.

He also called on the government to address the country’s structural challenges.

“In other words, why do we have bandits? Why do we have terrorists? Are there socio-economic imperatives that have spawned these anti-social forces? If the conditions exist for their emergence and growth, I believe the government should also address those conditions to tackle the root causes of terrorism and banditry.

“So, as it is, I can only, in my own humble way, endorse the stance of President Trump on this issue and wish Nigeria, under President Tinubu, greater success in its efforts to contain terrorism and banditry,” Prof. Soremekun said.