Some Nigerians have called for expanded United States military strikes against terrorist groups operating in Nigeria, saying current collaboration should go beyond intelligence gathering and training with Nigerian forces.
The calls for increased foreign military action come amid ongoing attacks, killings and abductions attributed to terrorist groups across parts of Nigeria.
A United States military team is present in Nigeria to assist with intelligence gathering and training of Nigerian troops, and the US carried out an airstrike on a location in Sokoto State on Christmas Day targeting a group described as a terrorist enclave.
The Nigerian Government and Nigerian military have been engaged in a multi‑year campaign against Islamist insurgents, bandits, and other armed groups.
These security operations have involved Nigerian forces in counter‑terrorism actions throughout the northern and central regions of the country.
In comments published by Vanguard newspaper, some activists, security analysts and civil society leaders said they support deeper involvement by the United States military beyond current roles.
They said the US team in Nigeria should do more than provide intelligence and training and should operate in collaboration with the Nigerian government and military.
These individuals described the Nigerian Army as overstretched in its fight against terrorist groups, and they pointed to the Christmas Day strike by the US military as an example of action that goes beyond training and intelligence gathering.
At the same time, some groups and commentators have stressed the need for any expanded foreign involvement to be coordinated with Nigerian authorities and to respect national legal frameworks governing military cooperation.
The calls for expanded US military action highlight continuing public and civil society concern over insecurity attributed to terrorist and armed groups within Nigeria.
Discussions about deeper foreign military involvement occur alongside ongoing efforts by Nigerian security forces and regional partners to strengthen national capacity to address these threats.
The issue of foreign military participation in domestic security operations intersects with broader national debates on sovereignty, strategic partnerships, and the legal basis for multinational cooperation in counter‑terrorism.
