Security: Remi Tinubu hails US airstrikes in Nigeria as “Blessing,” Seeks expanded collaboration with Trump

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has described the Christmas Day US airstrikes targeting Islamist militants in Sokoto State as a “blessing,” signalling her support for deeper security cooperation between Abuja and Washington.

Speaking to Fox News Digital during a week-long visit to the United States, Tinubu said the strikes were welcomed by Nigeria as part of the country’s ongoing fight against insurgents and criminal gangs across multiple regions.

“The intervention of the U.S. was quite a welcome development,” she said, adding: “Nigeria is looking forward to collaboration. We are expecting that there will be more.”

Her remarks come amid longstanding US concerns over religious freedom and insurgency in Nigeria.

President Donald Trump had previously designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” over religious freedom violations, a label the Tinubu administration has rejected, arguing that violence affects multiple faiths and regions.

Tinubu also highlighted the government’s domestic security measures, including a nationwide emergency, plans to recruit 50,000 new police officers, and the redeployment of over 11,000 officers from VIP duties to conflict-affected areas.

“We are concerned about our people’s safety,” she said, stressing that dialogue between Nigeria and the US is ongoing.

A former senator and Lagos First Lady, Tinubu is a Christian pastor who also leads outreach through the Renewed Hope Initiative, a nonprofit aligned with her husband’s administration’s social agenda.

Beyond security, Tinubu stressed the importance of stability for economic recovery and foreign investment, noting Nigeria’s significant deposits of lithium, cobalt, and other critical minerals that have attracted US interest amid efforts to counter China’s influence in Africa.

“Violence remains a major challenge in mining regions, but we are doing all we can to ensure investors feel comfortable and their investments yield returns,” she said.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced decades of insurgency and criminal violence, with tens of thousands of deaths linked to groups such as Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province, and local bandit networks.

Tinubu emphasized that the current administration, which assumed office in 2023, inherited these challenges and is implementing security reforms and economic measures to restore stability and growth.