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US Military Increases Deliveries To Nigeria In ‘Aggressive’ Push Against ISIS Terrorists
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The increased cooperation with the Federal Government follows Washington’s diplomatic pressure on Nigeria over jihadist violence in the country.
The aircraft arrived Nigeria on January 13, 2026. Credit: X/@USAfricaCommand
The US military is increasing materiel deliveries and intelligence sharing with Nigeria, Africom’s deputy commander told AFP, as part of a broader American push to work with African militaries to go after Islamic State-linked militants.
The Pentagon has also maintained open lines of communication with militaries in junta-led Sahel countries Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, Lieutenant General John Brennan said.
The increased cooperation with the Federal Government follows Washington’s diplomatic pressure on Nigeria over jihadist violence in the country, but also as the US military is becoming “more aggressive” in pursuing IS-linked targets on the continent.
US Army Lieutenant General John Brennan, the deputy commander of the United States Africa Command since April 2024, poses for a portrait in Abuja on January 24, 2026.
Under the Trump administration, “we’ve gotten a lot more aggressive and (are) working with partners to target, kinetically, the threats, mainly ISIS,” Brennan said in an interview on the sidelines of a US-Nigeria security meeting in the Nigerian capital last week.
“From Somalia to Nigeria, the problem set is connected. So we’re trying to take it apart and then provide partners with the information they need,” he added.
“It’s been about more enabling partners and then providing them with equipment and capabilities with less restrictions so that they can be more successful.”
Last week’s inaugural US-Nigeria Joint Working Group meeting came roughly a month after the US announced surprise Christmas Day strikes on IS-linked targets in northwest Nigeria.
Diplomatic Clash
Though both militaries seem keen on increased cooperation after the joint strikes, hanging over it all is diplomatic pressure by Washington over what Trump claims is the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria.
Abuja and independent analysts reject that framing of Nigeria’s myriad, overlapping conflicts, which has long been used by the US religious right.
Charged politics were on display at the Joint Working Group meeting in Abuja, where Allison Hooker, the number three at the State Department, pushed the Nigerian government “to protect Christians” in a speech that did not mention Muslim victims of armed groups.
Africa’s most populous country is roughly evenly split between a mostly Muslim north and a mostly Christian south. Though millions live side by side peacefully, religious and ethnic identity remains a sensitive topic in a country that has seen sectarian violence throughout its history.
Brennan told AFP that US intelligence would not be limited to protecting Christians.
He also said that following the US strikes in northwestern Sokoto state, American support going forward would focus on intelligence sharing to aid Nigerian air strikes there, as well as the northeast, where a jihadist insurgency by Boko Haram and rival breakaway ISWAP has raged since 2009.
Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is “our most concerning group”, he said.
Analysts have been tracking US intelligence flights over the country in recent months, though some have questioned whether air support alone can push back armed groups that thrive amid widespread poverty and state collapse in rural areas.
‘Still Collaborate’ With AES Militaries
US-Nigerian cooperation going forward will involve “the whole gamut of Intel sharing, sharing… tactics, techniques, and procedures, as well as enabling them to procure more equipment,” Brennan said.
The initial strikes targeted militants linked to Islamic State Sahel Province, typically active in neighbouring Niger, Brennan said.
Analysts have voiced concerns about ISSP’s spread from the Sahel into coastal West African countries like Nigeria.
The impact of those strikes so far has been unclear, however, with local and international journalists unable to confirm militant casualties.
Asked about their effectiveness, Nigerian information minister Mohammed Idris said last week it was “still a work in progress”.
In the Sahel more widely, Brennan said “we still collaborate” with the junta-led governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, which have broken away from their West African neighbours and largely shunned the West.
Security cooperation has been curtailed since coups toppled civilian governments across the three countries from 2020 to 2023.
“We have actually shared information with some of them to attack key terrorist targets,” he said. “We still talk to our military partners across the Sahelian states, even though it’s not official.”
Brennan also said the US is not seeking to replace its bases in Niger after its troops were pushed out by the ruling junta.
“We’re not in the market to create a drone base anywhere,” he said, referencing the shuttered US drone operations in Agadez.
“We are much more focused on getting capability to the right place at the right time and then leaving. We don’t seek long-term basing in any of the Western African countries.”
AFP
… As Former CFO Dismisses Missing Funds Claim, Defends Company’s Accounts
A dramatic session unfolded at the Senate on Wednesday as the Senate Committee on Public Accounts ordered the arrest of former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, over his failure to appear before lawmakers investigating alleged unaccounted funds amounting to ₦210 trillion between 2017 and 2023.
The committee’s directive followed Kyari’s absence from an investigative hearing examining 19 audit queries raised against the national oil company by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.
Lawmakers insisted that the former NNPCL chief had repeatedly failed to honour invitations despite several opportunities granted to him.
The hearing took another twist when former Chief Financial Officer of the NNPCL, Umar Ajiya Isa, strongly rejected claims that ₦210 trillion was missing from the company’s accounts. He argued that the figure being cited as unaccounted for exceeded the total revenue generated by the corporation during the period under review.
During deliberations, some committee members urged restraint. Senator Saliu Mustapha and Senator Tony Nwoye informed the committee that Kyari was reportedly receiving medical treatment in Germany and should be granted another opportunity to appear before lawmakers.
Their plea, however, met stiff resistance from other members of the panel who insisted that verbal explanations were insufficient. Senator Abdul Ningi argued that any claim of illness should be backed by documentary evidence rather than mere verbal assurances.
The strongest push for enforcement came from Senator Victor Umeh, who formally moved a motion calling for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against the former NNPCL chief. The motion received immediate support from the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi.
Nwaebonyi told the committee that granting Kyari another opportunity to appear voluntarily would amount to chasing shadows. He noted that the committee had already convened nine separate meetings on the matter, with three of them presided over by him, without securing the former NNPCL chief’s appearance.
“This is the ninth time this committee is meeting on the 19 audit queries raised against NNPCL. The time to issue a warrant of arrest is now because the committee must conclude its assignment and report back to the Senate,” he declared.
Following a voice vote, Committee Chairman Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo announced the panel’s decision, directing security agencies to ensure Kyari’s appearance before the committee.
“Anywhere Mele Kyari is, he should be arrested and brought before this committee,” Dankwambo ruled.
While the committee intensified pressure on the former NNPCL boss, Isa mounted a vigorous defence of the company’s financial records. He described the allegation of ₦210 trillion in missing funds as impossible, insisting that the figures did not align with NNPCL’s audited financial statements.
According to him, the company generated approximately ₦54.5 trillion in revenue during the period under review, even before accounting for production costs. He argued that it would be mathematically impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing when the total earnings were significantly lower than the amount being alleged.
“To be clear, if money had gone missing during our tenure, we would not have had the confidence to publish audited accounts. For over four decades, NNPC accounts were either not prepared, not published, or not submitted to the Auditor-General. The fact that audited accounts were released demonstrates transparency,” he said.
Isa also dismissed allegations that ₦5.8 billion was spent on the registration of NNPC Limited, describing the claim as false and harmful. He challenged the committee to verify the matter independently with the Corporate Affairs Commission and the Nigeria Revenue Service.
Warning against the consequences of inaccurate financial allegations, the former CFO said unsubstantiated claims could damage Nigeria’s international reputation and affect investor confidence. He recalled how a previous petition allegedly disrupted efforts to secure about $2.5 billion in Chinese financing for the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline project, despite sovereign guarantees backing the deal.
He further urged anti-corruption and intelligence agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, to investigate the allegations thoroughly and establish the facts. “When people claim ₦210 trillion is missing, they should be asked where exactly it went,” he stated.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the committee directed Isa and former Chief Upstream Investment Officer, Bala Wunti, to return in two weeks as lawmakers continue their probe into the audit queries and the financial operations of the NNPCL during the period under review.
The Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, on Wednesday ordered the unconditional release of Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo and other detained leaders of Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area.
Delivering judgment in a fundamental rights enforcement application, Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa granted the order while ruling on a motion filed on May 4, 2026.
The case, Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/42/2024: Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo & Ors v. Federal Government of Nigeria & Ors, also has July 13, 2026, fixed for continuation of hearing on the substantive matter.
The court had earlier ordered that the detained persons be produced before it, a directive which was reportedly not complied with by the military authorities.
Counsel to the applicants, Dr. Jonathan Ekperusi, appeared alongside Andrew Ubido, Esq., while Magdalene Irorere held brief for the 3rd and 5th respondents during the proceedings.
Following the ruling, members of the Okuama community expressed relief and joy over the court’s decision.
Victor Akemor, speaking on behalf of some community members, described the ruling as a welcome development.
“This is great news. Finally, we have reason to celebrate. The court is indeed the hope of the common man,” he said.
He also called on the Delta State Government to assist in facilitating the implementation of the court order and commended community leaders and legal representatives for their efforts.
The detained individuals, including Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo, President General of Ewu Kingdom; Chief Belvis Adogbo; Dennis Malaka; and Mabel Owhemu, have been in custody for nearly two years.
One of the detainees, Pa James Oghoroko, reportedly died while in detention.
The Okuama leaders were arrested by military personnel between August 18 and 19, 2024, following the killing of 17 soldiers near the community.
More than 100 Nigerians serving jail terms in Ethiopia may soon be transferred to Nigeria as both countries conclude arrangements for a prisoner transfer agreement.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, arrived in Addis Ababa for the signing of the pact alongside the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
The Nigerian delegation was received by Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and the country’s Chief of Protocol.
According to Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the agreement is scheduled to be signed on Wednesday.
She disclosed that four Nigerian inmates died during the lengthy process of negotiations, judicial reviews and ratification of the agreement.
“We cannot afford to lose any more precious lives. We are determined to bring home the living,” she stated in a post on her X handle.
The minister identified Kaliti Prison and Aba Samuel Prison as the facilities where the affected Nigerians are being held.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the agreement as a product of the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and Ethiopia, anchored on humanitarian considerations, justice and bilateral cooperation.
She said that while the Nigerian government continues to urge its citizens abroad to obey the laws of their host countries and protect the nation’s image, it remains committed to ensuring that Nigerians facing legal challenges overseas are treated fairly and in accordance with established legal frameworks.
The minister added that the welfare and protection of Nigerians abroad remain a key priority of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
She also expressed appreciation to the Ethiopian government for its cooperation in bringing the agreement to fruition.
Senate Orders Kyari’s Arrest Over Alleged ₦210 Trn NNPCL Financial Infractions
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