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by Ogbeni Olawale Dawodu
The United States has pledged deeper security cooperation with Nigeria, offering expanded intelligence support and faster access to defence equipment as part of a renewed push to help Abuja combat terror groups and escalating violence across the country.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga announced the development on Monday, saying the commitments were secured during a series of high-level meetings between a Nigerian delegation, led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and senior U.S. government officials in Washington.
According to him, the U.S. “committed to strengthening every existing channel of cooperation,” including enhanced intelligence sharing, accelerated processing of military hardware requests, and the potential transfer of excess defence equipment to bolster Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations.
Onanuga added that both sides agreed to activate a new, non-binding cooperation framework and establish a joint working group to coordinate all security initiatives “with immediate effect.”
Nigeria Pushes Back Against Genocide Claims
The presidency also disclosed that the Nigerian delegation strongly rejected allegations of genocide in the country, insisting such claims misrepresent the security situation.
“We made it clear that attacks affect families across religious and ethnic lines. No group is being targeted for extermination. These narratives can distort realities and inflame tensions,” a senior official on the trip was quoted as saying.
U.S. officials, in response, reportedly expressed readiness to expand complementary support—particularly humanitarian aid for communities in the Middle Belt and improved early-warning systems to prevent mass-casualty incidents.
Wide-Ranging Engagements in Washington
The Nigerian delegation met with key arms of the U.S. government, including the Congress, State Department, National Security Council, White House Faith Office, and the Department of War.
A member of the visiting team said the engagements were “productive and frank,” noting that Washington signalled stronger strategic alignment with Abuja’s stabilisation efforts.
Reaffirming Civilian Protection
The delegation also reassured the U.S. of Nigeria’s commitment to improving civilian protection, which Onanuga described as “central to the government’s ongoing stabilisation and reform agenda.”
Who Was on the Delegation
The high-level Nigerian team included:
- Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi
- Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede
- Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt.-Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye
- Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun
- Director of Foreign Relations, Office of the NSA, Amb. Ibrahim Babani
- Special Adviser to the NSA, Idayat Hassan
The Nigerian government described the renewed commitments as a “critical boost” to ongoing operations aimed at defeating terrorists, bandits, and violent extremist networks across the country.
