A former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Segun Sowunmi, has said international intervention in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism came too late.
Sowunmi made the remark during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics while reacting to recent United States 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 thank the United States 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.
He described the security situation as deeply painful for Nigerians, comparing the killing of terrorists to a parent witnessing the death of a wayward child.
“As a parent, you won’t stand by and watch even your wayward child get killed,” he said.
“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,” he insisted.
Recall that 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 although there are no confirmed terrorist casualties.
Trump also 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 disclosed that Nigeria had sought military assistance from Turkey due to delays in the delivery of military hardware ordered from the United States, including four attack helicopters.
Sowunmi, however, advised that Nigeria would be better served by describing terrorism as criminality rather than framing it along ethnic or religious lines.
