By Suleiman Umaru
President Donald Trump of the North American country of the United States, US, appears to have confused the Bandits Group, Jama’at nusratul Islam wal Muslimin, JNIM, Boko Haram, the Islamic state Of West African Province, ISWAP, and other Violent jihadists groups in Nigeria.
President Trump had created that he is no longer sending the American pilot fighters to Nigeria to help out in fighting the jihadists who had turned their guns against the Christian Community as he has been accused of going ahead to support the country in the ongoing campaign against banditry and terrorism in order to gain access to exploit the nation’s gold, uranium, Lithium and other mineral resources and rare earth elements.
It would be recalled that the American President had described Nigeria ‘’ as a country of particular concern’’ because of the indiscriminate killings in the country by the Jihadists and had taken a decision to support Nigeria in solving its security changes.
The American President may have given Nigerians the impression that he was after the country’s mineral resources and rare earth elements because of a similar incident that had played out in the mineral -rich Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, over the long -running conflict in the country over rival warring groups in exchange for security support to ending the crisis.
The mere pronouncement last October, by the US, President that he is sending ground troops and fighter aircrafts to Nigeria, may have given room to the violent Islamic groups operating in the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina and the insurgent groups in the north eastern states of Borno and Yobe, to intensify their attacks.
The Bandits group and JNIM, particular, were said to have intensified their operations in the north western states of Niger, Kogi, Benue and Plateau, due to the alleged rumours that the US, President is no longer sending soldiers to Nigeria because it is sovereign nation.
Unknown to them, the US, pilot fighters, who takes off, from Accra, Ghana, has been conducting Surveillance flights over Nigeria to find out the exact locations of the criminal elements in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, and Borno states after the American Leader intervention threat since late November, 2025.
As a prelude to ensuring the success of the US, military support in helping out in solving Nigerian security challenges, may have informed why there have been increased security cooperation and exchange of information between the two countries.
The Mississippi based Tenax Aerospace company was said to have provided the special mission aircraft for the US, Pentagon for the surveillance operation in Nigeria. It was a matter of time for the US, Pentagon, to launch their attack on the Nigerian based bandits and terrorists as directed by President Trump.
The likes of Ahmad Gumi, a Medical Doctor and Army Brig. General, rtd, who incidentally is a full time Muslim Cleric and one Usman Yusuf, a Professsor, had opposed US, military intervention in Nigeria, describing ‘’the Jihadists as freedom fighters’’ whose demands must be accommodated by the government’’ instead of turning the gun against them.
Pastor Enock Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of The Redeem Christian Church of God, RCCG, who may not have been enthused by the American President planned intervention in Nigeria to help out in solving the country’s security challenges was said to have urged the Nigerian President to request from the American President a 90- day time lag to give him enough time to effectively address the insecurity situation in the country , stressing that he would seek the support of the Pentagon, after all efforts to bring the situation under control had failed.
Events was said to have moved fast as Badaru Abubakar, an Army Brig. General, rtd, a former minister of Defence, under the present Tinubu’s Administration, and who incidentally was the immediate past governor of Jigawa state who could not deliver in his mandate to kickout the Bandits and terrorists in Nigerian forest because of his alleged link with the Bandis and Terrorist Leaders was forced to resign.
The minister may not have been the one that had expected to resign or be fired from the Tinubu’s Cabined, but Bello Matawale, a former governor of Zamfara state and minister of state, defence who had been fingered as a close ally to Turji Bello, one of the Bandits group Chiefs.
The designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern by Trump and the resignation of the former Jigawa state governor as the minister of defence may have given the Nigerian President, room, to overhaul the country’s security architecture.
The Nigerian Leader was said to have introduced Gen. Olufemi Olatubosun Oloyede, as the country’s new Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Lt. Generals Emmanuel Parker Undiadeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence, CDI, Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff, CoAS, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, as Chief of Naval Staa, CNS and Air Marshall Sunday Kelvin Aneke, as the new Chief of Nigeria Air Force, NAF, to strengthen the counter-terrorism war.
President Tinubu, who had kept a closely guided secret, a replacement for Abubakar, the immediate past minister of minister, who had tendered his resignation letter, which was said to haven quickly accepted was an opportunity for the President to let the cat of the bag by making public, his choice of the office of the minister of Defence.
The appointment of the Kaduna state born, Gen. Christopher Musa, rtd, ex- CDS, as a replacement for minister Abubaker, who had resigned as the new minister of defence, did not come to many as a surprise because of successful military career which was very revealing.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Assistant to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement issued to unveil the new political appointee, who is not politician but a professional had said that Tinubu had expressed confidence in Gen. Musa’s ability to head the ministry of defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
Minister Musa, knew that he cannot afford to fail the President in tackling banditry, terrorism and kidnapping activities in the country as a former Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole and Commander, Sector 3, of the Multinational joint Task Force comprising of soldiers from Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Tchad and the Central African country of Cameroun including soldiers from Republic of Benin, in the Lake Tchad region.
Appointed theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, which took him to the position of Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps, before being appointed CDS, by President Tinubu, in June 2023, where he was said to have given the bandits group, Boko Haram, ISWA and other criminal gangs operating in the country but collaboration with the notorious Jamaa’a ul al-Islam wal -Muslimin, JNIM, fighters in the Alliance for States, AES, of Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and Mali,a battle of their life, forcing scores of them to lay down their arms and surrender as they could not stand the superior fire power of his men.
It was not surprising why the Bandits and insurgency groups and their sponsors across the northern part of Nigeria had cried out when information filtered out that the ex-CDS, has been confirmed by Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state, led Senate to oversee the affairs of the ministry of defense.
On Friday, December 25, 2025, being Christmas Day, which had been declared a public Holiday by the Nigerian government, the US, African Command, AFRICOM, Commander, Gen. Dagvin Anderson, was said to have sent fighter air-crafts to bombard ISIS, Camps in the Caliphate state of Sokoto, and two other states in the north western geopolitical region of Nigeria.
The operation, according to an informed source was said to have been carried at the direction of President Trump, and the US, Secretary of War, and close collaboration with the Nigerian Authorities and regional partners to increase counter-terrorism cooperation efforts related to ongoing violence and threats against innocent lives. The AFRICOM, Commander who could not hide his feelings had said that that their goal is ‘’to disrupt violent extremists’ groups wherever they are in any part of Nigeria’’.
The US, fighter aircrafts were said to have carried out heavy bombardment of the hideouts Sokoto, Zamfara and Kaduna states in the deadly air strikes. The operation, which a security, is still ongoing, was said to have targeted areas believed to be harbouring the violent armed killer gangs threatening regional security. There are indications that multiple targets were hit and casualties recorded which had been put at 50, including some associates of Turji Belo, the Bandits Group gang leader, who had been terrorizing Sokoto/Zamfara axis over the years..
President Tinubu reorganization of the country’ security architecture appears to have exposed some of the political appointees of the deceased President Muhammadu Buhari who were sponsors of banditry and terrorism in the north western and north eastern geopolitical regions respectively and also involved in money laundering. One of such top notched politicians was Abubakar Malami, a former Attorney General of the Federation and minister of Justice during the Buhari’s Administration.
Malami, who is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, under the close watch of Olanipekun Olukayede, is believed to be nursing the ambition to contest the 2027, governorship election in Kebbi state under the newly registered, African Democratic Congress, ADC, platform instead of ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.
Decamping to the ADC, may have brought him into conflict with Nasir Idris, the Kebbi state governor and other Chieftains of the ruling APC, in the state and the Federal level, including Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, a former governor of the north western state and now minister of Budget and Economic Planning under the Tnubu’s Administration for biting the finger that had fed him.
There is gain saying the fact that if he had remained in the ruling APC, nobody would have known that he stole so much money from the system under the close watch of Late President Buhari, confirming hat Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo state and Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria had said that ‘’if you are in APC, your sins are forgotten.
The Nigerian former Attorney General may have known that game is up when bandits from the neighboring Zamfara state, described as home of various bandits, gangs, who had infiltrated Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, when he came for a condolence visit but breached the La by coming with a convoy and sirens, which he is no longer entitled to as an ordinary citizen. Malami, a power broker during the deceased Buhari’s Administration who is currently being investigated by the EFCC, is no longer finding as the same institution which he once supervised and where his words are laws is now investigating him and currently in their custody. The antigraft agency, which may have had had dossier on him, according to reports had traced 41 illegally acquired properties.
The assets comprising of hotels, schools, residential buildings, lands and a printing press were said to be located in choice areas in Kebbi, his home state, Kano, and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, which Valuation experts had put at about N212.89 billion.
The EFCC Authorities, Malami, the former Attorney General of the Federation and minister of Justice, had confirmed, invited him to clarify issues concerning the US$310 million Abacha loot recovered during the late Buhari’s Administration and has nothing to do with terrorism financing, money laundering and ownership of multiple bank accounts.
The Kebbi state born politician who not take it that he diverted recovered Abacha loot into personal use would want Nigerians to believe that ‘’no security, intelligence or law enforcement agency both within and outside Nigeria has ever accused, investigated, let alone question him over terrorism financing or multiple bank accounts’’.
The EFCC, appears not ready to let the former minister of Justice and power broker in late Buhari’s Administration as the anti-graft agency has filed a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering, and acquisition f illegal properties, in Kebbi, Kano and FCT, against hm, between 2015 and June 2025. He was said to have been in EFCC, custody since December 8, 2025, for failing to meet his bail condition.
