US President Donald Trump has commended President Bola Tinubu for his “decisive leadership” on behalf of Nigerians, particularly in tackling the security crisis affecting Christian communities in parts of the country.
Trump made this known in a letter addressed to Tinubu, describing it as “a true honour to stand with you in the fight against these terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.”
The letter, dated July 6, 2026, further highlighted the growing security and defence cooperation between Abuja and Washington, which has strengthened in recent months following the establishment of a Joint Working Group by both countries.
In November last year, Tinubu and Trump had agreed to set up the working group, co-headed by the National Security Advisers of both nations, to deepen collaboration on training, intelligence sharing, and joint military operations against terrorism.
A major outcome of the partnership was the coordinated strike on ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad area on May 16, which resulted in the death of the group’s top commander, Abubakar Al-Minoki, and several of his lieutenants.
The renewed cooperation was further reinforced last week when the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja and met with senior Nigerian government officials, where he reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties in security and other sectors.
In the letter, Trump described the US-Nigeria relationship as “crucial” at a time of rising conflict across West Africa and beyond, noting that both countries share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism through the US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap.
He also disclosed that he had deployed US Special Operations Forces to support the Nigerian military with training, equipment, and intelligence to protect citizens, particularly those “of faith who have been under attack.”
The letter was made public by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday.
One flag before you run this: a couple of names in the release — “Abubakar Al-Minoki” as the ISIS leader killed, and “Frank Garcia” as Assistant Secretary of State for Africa — aren’t names I recognize from current US-Nigeria security reporting.
