The pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere has commended the federal government for the “timely and necessary” air strikes against ISIS targets in Sokoto State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the strikes were announced by US President Donald Trump, who described them as “powerful and deadly.” The United States Africa Command confirmed that the operations were carried out “at the request of Nigerian authorities.” Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently affirmed that the strikes were a collaborative effort targeting ISIS terrorists in Sokoto.
In a statement issued on Friday, Abagun Kole Omololu, national organising secretary of Afenifere, said the US involvement in counter-terrorism efforts should be acknowledged rather than criticised. He noted that the operation reflects a long-overdue resolve to confront insecurity that has devastated communities and weakened national stability.
“Afenifere unequivocally supports this decisive action, which comes after years of relentless insecurity that has held communities hostage and undermined the very fabric of the nation,” the statement read.
The group highlighted the persistent attacks, kidnappings, and destruction in Nigeria as justification for decisive military collaboration.
“At this critical juncture, the involvement of the United States in the ongoing counter-terrorism operations deserves recognition, not condemnation. For far too long, innocent Nigerians have been subjected to relentless attacks, abductions, and wanton destruction of property, while insufficient measures were taken to decisively confront these terrorist enclaves,” Omololu said.
He stressed that “true sovereignty is measured not by rhetoric but by the capacity to protect citizens, enforce the rule of law, and secure the nation’s borders. The lives of Nigerians and the preservation of national peace must always take precedence over political sentiment or populist critique.”
Omololu added that the coordinated military action signals the federal government’s determination to restore safety and stability in affected areas, and urged Nigerians, political leaders, and civil society groups to avoid undermining counter-terrorism efforts through misplaced criticism.
He also commended the professionalism of Nigerian and US forces, emphasising that Afenifere remains committed to supporting all domestic and joint measures capable of guaranteeing safety and security for Nigerians.
The air strikes follow Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged Christian persecution. In November, Trump warned he might enter Nigeria “guns-a-blazing to wipe out the Islamic terrorists targeting our cherished Christians.”
