Yusuf Maitama Tuggar

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Coordinated with U.S. ahead of strikes while defending sovereignty

On Christmas night 2025, American warplanes struck ISIS-linked camps in northwest Nigeria, killing militants in the first direct U.S. combat action there. President Tinubu approved the operation after months of Trump pressure, targeting Lakurawa/ISSP elements in Sokoto State, but Jabo residents reported civilian panic from a missile hitting farmland. By mid-February 2026, U.S. Africa Command deployed around 200 military personnel, with the initial 100 troops arriving February 17 at Bauchi Airfield to train and support Nigerian counterterrorism forces.

Updated May 16

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Leading Nigeria’s diplomatic rebuttal of U.S. ‘Christian genocide’ claims and defending national sovereignty

Since March 2025, jihadist attacks, mass kidnappings, and farmer-herder violence have swept across northern and central Nigeria. A February 4, 2026, jihadist massacre in Kwara State alone killed over 160 people. Major incidents include a US-Nigeria airstrike on December 25, 2025, targeting Islamic State militants; Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks killing dozens of soldiers in January 2026; and partial rescues amid ongoing banditry.

Updated May 10