The Defence Headquarters has said tthat he strategic military partnership between Nigeria and the United States has significantly weakened the operations of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and other terrorist groups operating in the region.
According to the DHQ, intelligence sharing, specialised training, surveillance support and joint counter-terrorism operations between both countries have led to major successes against terrorist networks, resulting in the destruction of key logistics infrastructure and operational bases.
Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, disclosed this during an X Space discussion on strengthening security through strategic information sharing and the role of the Nigeria-U.S. military partnership in combating terrorism.
Uba said terrorism remains a global security challenge that requires strong international cooperation, intelligence-driven operations and technological support to effectively counter evolving threats.
He noted that collaboration between Nigeria and the United States has improved the operational effectiveness of Nigerian troops through enhanced intelligence gathering, capacity-building initiatives and advanced reconnaissance capabilities.
According to him, recent joint efforts have helped security forces disrupt terrorist networks, destroy insurgent enclaves and target critical logistics structures used by extremist groups.
The Defence spokesperson also expressed appreciation to the U.S. Government and the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) for their continued support in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He further commended President Bola Tinubu for providing the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the equipment, resources and operational support needed to sustain ongoing military campaigns across the country.
Providing further insight into the collaboration, AFRICOM Director of Public Affairs, Col. Rebecca Heyse, said recent joint counter-terrorism operations conducted by Nigerian and U.S. forces dealt a significant blow to ISIS activities in the region.
According to Heyse, the operations, which began on May 16 after months of intelligence coordination and planning, resulted in the elimination of senior ISIS commanders, including Abu Bilal al-Minuki, described as the group’s global second-in-command.
She added that more than 200 ISIS fighters were killed during the operations, while several terrorist facilities, including weapons stockpiles, logistics hubs, training camps and checkpoints, were destroyed.
The AFRICOM spokesperson said the operations also disrupted financial and media networks used by terrorist groups to fund and coordinate activities across the region.
Heyse attributed the success of the mission to close cooperation between Nigerian and U.S. military personnel, stressing that the partnership respects Nigeria’s sovereignty while enhancing regional security efforts.
She also praised the professionalism of the Nigerian Armed Forces and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Nigeria’s counter-terrorism objectives.