By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The United States has resumed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations over northeast Nigeria, focusing on militant activity in the Sambisa forest. This comes just days after U.S. airstrikes targeted ISIS-affiliated fighters in Sokoto State on Thursday night.

According to flight-tracking data shared on Saturday by Sahel terrorism analyst Brant Philip, a U.S. aircraft—identified as a Gulfstream V, a model frequently modified for ISR missions—was observed operating over Borno State.

“The United States resumed ISR operations today on ISWAP in the Sambisa forest, Borno State in northeast Nigeria, after a pause of one day following the strikes in Sokoto State,” Philip stated on X, formerly Twitter.

The mission appears directed at Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the primary ISIS affiliate active in Nigeria’s northeast and the Lake Chad region.

Open-source analysts report that the current series of U.S. ISR flights over Nigeria began on November 24, originating from Ghana, which functions as a logistical hub for American military operations in West Africa. The aircraft, linked to U.S. special mission provider Tenax Aerospace, has conducted near-daily flights since the campaign started.

Sources familiar with the operations indicate the surveillance serves multiple objectives, including intelligence gathering on militant groups and locating an American pilot kidnapped in neighboring Niger.

The renewed U.S. military engagement follows a recent meeting in Washington between National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Tensions have risen in recent weeks over former President Donald Trump’s threats of military intervention in Nigeria.

After the meeting, Hegseth stated the Pentagon would work “aggressively” with Nigeria to end what he termed the “persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists.”

Thursday’s airstrikes in northwestern Nigeria—reportedly targeting ISIS-linked militants—were characterized by Trump as the “first fulfilment” of that commitment.

In a message following the operation, he warned, “More strikes would follow.”

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Federal Government has announced the graduation of more than 7,000 newly trained forest guards, marking the operational launch of the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative aimed at strengthening internal security.

The graduation ceremonies were held simultaneously on Saturday, December 27, 2025, across seven frontline states: Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi. The recruits, drawn from local communities within these states, have completed an intensive three-month training program.

Launched by President Bola Tinubu in May 2025, the initiative is designed to deny terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers sanctuary in the nation’s vast forest areas. The program directs each participating state to recruit between 2,000 and 5,000 personnel.

According to a statement from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the training curriculum emphasized physical conditioning, tactical patrol operations, and legal frameworks—including ethics, human rights, and proper use-of-force procedures. Firearms handling was conducted in strict compliance with an approved Arms Management Manual.

The program achieved a 98.2% completion rate. Of the trainees, 81 were disqualified on disciplinary grounds, and two individuals died due to pre-existing medical conditions. All successful participants have been certified and cleared for immediate duty.

National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, announced the guards’ immediate deployment, stating that salaries and allowances have been activated concurrently.

“These Forest Guards are first responders, community protectors, and a critical layer of Nigeria’s security architecture,” Ribadu said.

“They will leverage their indigenous knowledge of the local terrain and community trust to gather intelligence, hold ground, and support other security agencies in reclaiming territories from criminal elements.”

He emphasized the initiative’s broader objective: “By protecting our forests, we are securing our territory and protecting our people. This program will expand nationwide as part of our sustained effort to build a safer Nigeria.”

The initiative is being executed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Park Service, and the Armed Forces, Police, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Senator Ali Ndume, former Senate Leader and representative of Borno South, has formally urged the Federal Government to expand its security cooperation with the United States to include Nigeria’s North-East region. This appeal follows the recent joint operation in Sokoto State, which successfully targeted ISIS-affiliated cells.

The call was made on Saturday, December 27, as Senator Ndume commended the precision airstrikes carried out in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The operation was publicly acknowledged by U.S. authorities and later confirmed by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar.

Minister Tuggar emphasized that the mission was conducted with Nigeria’s full approval, cooperation, and intelligence support, upholding national sovereignty and avoiding religious bias.

Ndume, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, said extending such joint operations to the North-East would significantly weaken the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram.

“We welcome this cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in targeting terrorist hideouts,” Ndume said.

“I am calling on both governments to extend it to the North-East, where ISWAP and Boko Haram maintain three major strongholds—Lake Chad, the Mandara Mountains and the Sambisa Forest,” he added.

He also advocated deeper military collaboration, including training, intelligence sharing, logistics support and the deployment of attack helicopters to support ground troops.

Ndume commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allocating the highest budgetary provision to defence in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, but stressed the need for accountability and transparency in the utilisation of the funds.

Reacting to the recent suicide bomb attack at a mosque in Gamboru, Maiduguri, which claimed five lives and left several others injured, the former Senate Chief Whip expressed condolences to the victims and their families.

“The attack in Gamboru is a stark reminder that terrorists have no regard for religion. In this case, all the victims were Muslims. This clearly shows that the narrative of a Christian genocide does not exist.

“These terrorists are simply making life unbearable for our people, irrespective of faith,” he said.

Senator Ndume reaffirmed his support for strengthened international partnerships to combat terrorism and restore lasting peace and stability to Nigeria, particularly in the vulnerable North-East region.