Former Sokoto State governor and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Tambuwal, has expressed concern over possible United States involvement in counterterrorism operations in Nigeria.
He warned that past US-led interventions in other parts of the world had produced limited results.
Tambuwal spoke on Arise Television on Friday amid reports of an airstrike linked to ongoing counterterrorism efforts in parts of Sokoto State.
Reacting to questions on whether US collaboration with Nigerian security forces would help flush out terrorists and restore peace, the former governor said he viewed such involvement with caution.
“Well, I will take that with some mixed reaction. If we go by the history of such operations as carried out by the U.S. in some parts of the world, I am very, very concerned. We must be very circumspect.
“And if the history is anything to go by, it has not been able to effectively achieve much in some of the areas that they carried out such collaborative efforts.”
Tambuwal, however, stressed that Nigeria’s security crisis must not be framed along religious or ethnic lines, insisting that the core issue remained national security.
“However, it is important that we understand that this is not a religious war, this is not an ethnic war, this is about our country and securing our country,” he said.
He noted that support could come from outside the country but warned against hidden interests.
“So help may come from unexpected quarters. What we need to do is to make sure that no hidden agenda is pursued in the pursuit of this fight against terrorism,” he added.
The former governor also spoke on the recent security situation in Sokoto, saying the reported operation targeted an enclave in Tangaza Local Government Area.
“The target was an enclave in the Tangaza local government of Sokoto State. I recollect that while serving as Governor of Sokoto State, we had issues of Lakurawa in the same sub-area of Sokoto, particularly Tangaza, Gudu, and to some extent, Binji local governments of Sokoto State,” he said.
Tambuwal explained that the situation was previously brought under control through coordinated action by security agencies.
“We carried out joint operations with the DSS, Army, and other security forces, which were very effective against Lakurawa, and they pushed back. Not much was heard from them until recently,” he said.
He said he had earlier called for greater collaboration and support for security agencies at all levels, adding that the airstrike came days after his appeal.
“I did call for greater collaboration and support for the government of Nigeria and governments at all levels some six days back, and only last night, we woke up to hear of these strikes,” Tambuwal said.
He added that he had consistently urged Nigerians to avoid narratives that could deepen divisions.
“I have been very clear in my earlier statements that terrorists are nobody’s friends and we must avoid giving them any political or religious connotations. The narratives should be about securing the lives and properties of Nigerians,” he said.
The comments came as US President Donald Trump announced that American forces had carried out “deadly strikes” against Islamic State militants in Sokoto State, in what has been described as part of ongoing counterterrorism cooperation between the United States and Nigeria.
Federal Government officials confirmed that Nigeria coordinated with the US on the operation under shared counterterrorism efforts and emphasised respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Tambuwal had earlier on Friday urged residents of his senatorial district to stay calm and work with security agencies amid the ongoing operations.
In a statement shared on his verified X handle, the former governor acknowledged reports of the airstrike linked to counterterrorism efforts involving Nigeria and the United States, calling on communities to remain peaceful and law-abiding while authorities clarify the details of the operation.
He assured residents that he was engaging relevant authorities to obtain full details and ensure safeguards were upheld.
“It is important to reassure the public that these operations target criminal and terrorist elements, not innocent civilians. The protection of civilian lives remains central to all legitimate security operations,” he wrote.
Tambuwal also called on community leaders and residents to share credible information and resist misinformation, expressing confidence that sustained cooperation with security agencies would help restore peace in Sokoto State and the country.
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