Trump Commends Tinubu’s Fight Against Terrorism

(AFRICANEXAMINER) – US President Donald Trump has praised President Bola Tinubu for his efforts to tackle terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria.

Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, said in a statement on Wednesday that Trump made the remarks in a letter dated July 6 and addressed to Tinubu.

Trump said he appreciated Tinubu’s “decisive leadership” and commitment to addressing the challenges facing Nigeria, particularly violence affecting Christian communities.

“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 said in the letter.

He said the relationship between Nigeria and the United States was important as conflicts continued to spread across West Africa and other parts of the world.

Trump also said both countries shared the goal of fighting terrorism and noted that the 2026 US-Nigeria Defence Cooperation Roadmap had created a framework for deeper security cooperation.

He said the US had deployed Special Operations Forces to help train and support Nigerian military personnel with skills, equipment and intelligence needed to protect the country.

Trump added that he looked forward to continued discussions with Tinubu during his presidency.

Security cooperation between Nigeria and the US intensified last year following allegations by some American lawmakers that the Nigerian government had failed to prevent what they described as genocide against Christians. The Nigerian government rejected the allegations.

Meanwhile, US and Nigerian forces have continued to cooperate in counterterrorism operations. Air strikes targeting Islamist militants in north-west Nigeria began in December and continued into this year.

In May, the two countries announced a joint operation that reportedly killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, a senior ISIS commander, in the Lake Chad region. Several other ISIS commanders were also reportedly killed.

Dagvin Anderson, commander of the US Africa Command, later said the US had withdrawn many of its troops from Nigeria following the operation but would maintain intelligence cooperation with Abuja.

Last week, Frank Garcia, US assistant secretary of state for Africa, visited Nigeria, where he met senior government officials and pledged to strengthen security ties between Abuja and Washington.

The two countries have since established a joint working group to deepen cooperation in security and other areas of mutual interest.