The United States has reaffirmed its counterterrorism partnership with Nigeria, pointing to recent joint operations it says dealt a significant blow to the Islamic State terrorist network.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the disclosure while speaking on American foreign policy and international security cooperation. He said U.S. and Nigerian security agencies recently worked together in an operation that eliminated a senior global ISIS leader operating from within Nigeria.
According to him, concerns previously raised by some groups about violence affecting Christian communities in Nigeria have further strengthened security cooperation between both countries.
“On Nigeria, where many were very concerned about violence against Christians, we are now actively cooperating in counterterrorism with the Nigerian government and Nigerian security forces,” Rubio said.
He added that the partnership had already produced tangible results in the fight against terrorism, including what he described as a coordinated operation carried out a few weeks earlier.
“That includes a joint operation a couple of weeks ago that took out the number two leader of global ISIS, operating from inside of the country, and that continues,” he said.
Rubio’s remarks highlight growing security collaboration between Nigeria and the United States as both countries continue to confront evolving terrorist threats across West Africa and the wider Sahel region.
Nigeria has remained central to counterterrorism efforts in West Africa, battling insurgent groups linked to Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and other violent extremist networks.
The country has also consistently called for stronger international cooperation to address terrorism, illicit arms trafficking, and cross-border criminal activity across the region.
