Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed deep concern over the federal government’s handling of communication regarding a recent United States military strike on Islamic State (ISIS) targets in northwest Nigeria.
In a press statement issued yesterday by National Publicity Secretary Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP highlighted that Nigerians first learned of the airstrike through posts on social media by US President Donald Trump and other American officials.
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The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs only released a statement several hours later, providing what the party described as a “vague” and “passive” confirmation of the government’s awareness and cooperation in the operation.
The strike, which targeted ISIS camps in Sokoto State and reportedly killed multiple terrorists, was announced by President Trump on Christmas Day via his Truth Social platform.
He described it as a “powerful and deadly” action against militants accused of targeting Christians. US Africa Command confirmed the operation was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
While acknowledging the value of international cooperation in combating terrorism, the PDP argued that this “inverted communication approach” undermines public trust.
The party noted reports of past US military operations in Nigeria allegedly occurring without government permission or knowledge, suggesting the federal government should have proactively informed citizens to avoid speculation.
“The Federal Government should have been the first to report the news in order to properly sensitise the Nigerian populace, instead of waiting to confirm news already in public circulation, unless they were taken unawares like the rest of the citizens,” the statement read.
The PDP further urged the government to ensure that defence agreements with the US emphasise joint operations, facilitating knowledge sharing and capacity building for Nigerian forces.
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This, it said, would enable sustainable, independent efforts to tackle insecurity rather than relying on “full externally-led ‘precision attacks'”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has maintained that the strikes resulted from ongoing security cooperation, involving intelligence sharing, and stressed that terrorism affects all Nigerians irrespective of religion.
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