US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says America is now actively conducting counter-terrorism operations in Nigeria in collaboration with the Nigerian government.
He made this comment on Tuesday while testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the State Department’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request.
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As part of the successful joint operations carried out in the past months, Mr Rubio cited the elimination of Abubakar Mainok, also known as Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, a top Islamic State commander.
He said, “We are now actively in counterterrorism cooperation with the Nigerian government and Nigerian security forces.”
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This operation, he noted, is in response to the concerns about “violence against Christians” in the country.
The US Secretary of War, Pete Hegeseth, had previously noted that America’s military operation in Nigeria is based on President Donald Trump’s order to protect Nigerian Christians targeted by ISIS terrorists.
He claimed the directive led to the killing of the Islamic State commander, who is the ISIS number two person in Nigeria and is “most responsible for the targeted killing of Christians and trying to target the US Homeland.” He also stated that over 100 other ISIS members operating in the North-east have been killed in operations by the US Africa Command, all due to Mr Trump’s “unwavering” commitment to protect Christians.
Mr Trump also previously described the operation as a “meticulously planned and very complex mission” carried out in partnership with Nigeria.
Mr Rubio, in his latest remark, shared on X by the Department of State, said that the concerns shared about targeted attacks on Christian communities strengthened the security engagement between Nigeria and the US.
He also stated that the US will continue to engage in counterterrorism cooperation with the Nigerian government and its security forces.
But PREMIUM TIMES reported that Al-Minuki operated in the North-east and Lake Chad, where attacks are carried out indiscriminately, with Muslims being the most affected group.
He was killed on Lake Chad island, many miles from the region the US government identified as hotspots of anti-Christian persecution last year.
At the height of US antagonism in 2025, top US officials, including Riley Moore, Ted Cruz, and Chris Smith — all Republican lawmakers – alongside Christian lobby groups, framed the violence in the country as an anti-Christian crusade carried out in the North-central, particularly Benue and Plateau states. The campaign would eventually culminate in the designation as a Country of Particular Concern.
The violence in the North-east and Lake Chad island, where the Islamic State leader was reported to have been killed, is not based on any organised, systematic effort to eliminate Christians, as claimed by the US.
The US-Nigeria interaction, which had been marked by an antagonistic relationship, has morphed into a security partnership following a series of diplomatic trips, high-level meetings, and the establishment of a joint working group led by Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the US Under Secretary of State, Allison Hooker.
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In January, the US and Nigeria also introduced the 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap, and three weeks ago, they launched the Defence Institutional Technical Working Groups (DITWGs) to deepen military collaboration.
US military support to Nigeria is also said to include the deployment of about 200 troops and MQ-9 surveillance drones.
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