Prosper Okoye
Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, said U.S. airstrikes on Islamist militants in northwest Nigeria were a “blessing” and signalled that her husband’s government is seeking deeper security cooperation with Washington as the country battles insurgency and violent crime.
Speaking in an interview during a visit to Washington, Tinubu said the Christmas Day U.S. military operation in Sokoto state was welcomed by Abuja and should mark the start of closer engagement.
“The intervention of the U.S. was quite a welcome development,” she said. “Nigeria is looking forward to collaboration… We are expecting that there will be more.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe comments come as Nigeria faces growing pressure from U.S. lawmakers and religious freedom advocates over violence linked to Islamist militants and criminal gangs.
Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump have renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s security record, after Trump previously designated the country a “country of particular concern” over religious freedom — a label the Nigerian government rejects.
Nigerian officials say the violence is not driven by religion alone but by insurgent groups and criminal networks operating across multiple regions. Earlier this year, gunmen believed to be Islamic extremists killed at least 162 people in Kwara state, burning homes and looting shops in attacks on communities that had resisted extremist control.
“Terrorist groups hide in the forest, and also bandits and other people are kidnapping for ransom,” Tinubu said.
She said the government has declared a nationwide security emergency, plans to recruit 50,000 police officers and has redeployed more than 11,000 officers from VIP protection duties to conflict-affected areas.
Despite international criticism over killings of Christians, Tinubu said the attention has helped open dialogue with Washington.
“We have that attention. We have the conversation going,” she said. “We are expecting that there will be more.”
Tinubu, a former senator and a Christian pastor, said she used meetings with senior U.S. officials to explain Nigeria’s security challenges.
“We live in Nigeria. We know the situation on the ground,” she said.
Beyond security, Tinubu said stability is key to attracting foreign investment, particularly in Nigeria’s mineral sector, which has drawn U.S. interest as Washington looks to counter China’s influence in Africa.
“We’re doing all we can to make sure that when investors come, they can feel comfortable and their investment can yield,” she said.
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Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has struggled for more than a decade with violence from Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province and criminal gangs. Tens of thousands have been killed, and millions displaced, as attacks continue across the north and central regions.
Christian advocacy groups estimate that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed since 2009, though those figures are difficult to independently verify.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
