GPS News
AFRICA NEWS
US delivers 'critical military supplies' to Nigeria after Xmas strikes

US delivers 'critical military supplies' to Nigeria after Xmas strikes

by AFP Staff Writers
Lagos (AFP) Jan 13, 2026

The United States on Tuesday said it had delivered "critical military supplies" to Nigeria after staging Christmas Day strikes targeting militants in the restive northwest.

The delivery is the latest sign of increased security cooperation between Washington and Abuja, and also comes as Nigeria's national security adviser struck a $750,000-per-month deal with a US firm to lobby President Donald Trump's administration.

On the evening of December 25, the United States struck sites in Sokoto state in what Nigeria called a "joint" operation on targets linked to the Islamic State group.

"This delivery supports Nigeria's ongoing operations and emphasizes our shared security partnership," US Africa Command said on X, without giving details.

The December bombardments marked a turnaround after ties plummeted late last year when Trump said violence in Nigeria amounted to the "persecution" and "genocide" of Christians.

The Nigerian government and independent analysts reject that framing, long used by the US and European religious right.

Africa's most populous country, roughly split between a mostly Muslim north and mostly Christian south, faces myriad and sometimes overlapping armed conflicts, including a jihadist insurgency raging since 2009.

Separatists in the southeast, who have long maintained a lobbying presence in Washington, have also used the "Christian genocide" narrative.

- Lobbying effort -

According to new disclosure forms filed with the US Department of Justice, viewed by AFP on Tuesday, Abuja has also entered into the lobbying fray.

Security chief Nuhu Ribadu hired US lobbying firm DCI Group in mid-December to help Abuja communicate "its actions to protect... Christian communities and (maintain) US support in countering west African jihadist groups and other destabilising elements".

Days before the US strikes, Nigeria's information minister said the "spat" with Washington had been resolved, "culminating in a strengthened partnership between America and Nigeria".

Last week, a Nigerian source familiar with the post-strike security arrangement told AFP the Nigerian air force would take the lead in future strikes, with the United States supplying intelligence from reconnaissance flights.

Abuja remains open to future US strikes, the source said.

While the strikes marked an improvement from Trump's earlier threats of unilateral military intervention, they caused headaches in Abuja when the US leader took complete credit for them.

Adding to the uncertainty around Nigeria-US relations, Trump recently told The New York Times: "I'd love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians it will be a many-time strike."

Nigeria remains labelled a "country of particular concern", a State Department designation over alleged religious freedom violations.

The Nigerian government said the strikes targeted Islamic State group fighters, members of the Lakurawa jihadist group and "bandit" gangs, though it is unknown how many were killed, and from which groups.

However, local and international journalists have only been able to confirm damage to farmland and civilian buildings as well as injuries among civilians.

fvl/nro/sn/ach/cc

THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
AFRICA NEWS
Somalia cancels all UAE deals after Somaliland, Yemeni spats
Mogadishu (AFP) Jan 12, 2026
Somalia cancelled all agreements with the United Arab Emirates on Monday amid tensions over Israel's recognition of Somaliland and reports the Emiratis used Somali territory to help a Yemeni separatist flee his country. "Having carefully assessed recent developments and exercising its constitutional authority, the Council of Ministers has annulled all agreements concluded with the United Arab Emirates... including bilateral security and defense cooperation agreements," the Somali government said in ... read more

AFRICA NEWS
Ticking time bomb: Some farmers report as many as 70 tick encounters over a 6-month period

Black carbon from straw burning limits antibiotic resistance in plastic mulched fields

Drone phenomics sharpen genetic signals and automate field trait extraction in maize and peanut breeding

Australia 'disappointed' with China's beef tariffs

AFRICA NEWS
US allows Nvidia to send advanced AI chips to China with restrictions

AI gobbling up memory chips essential to gadget makers

Aegis Aerospace and United Semiconductors plan in orbit semiconductor materials plant

AI gobbling up memory chips essential to gadget makers

AFRICA NEWS
Taiwan inspects F-16 jets as search continues for pilot

Fewer layovers, better-connected airports, more firm growth

NASA and Boeing advance control strategies for flexible long span airliner wings

Berlin says decision postponed on European fighter jet

AFRICA NEWS
GM announces $7.1 bn hit to profits on electric auto pullback

Electric vehicles could catch on in Africa sooner than expected

EU offers China alternative to tariffs in electric cars dispute

Trimble positioning tech to enhance Lucid Gravity lane level navigation

AFRICA NEWS
China says will 'safeguard' interests after Trump tariff threat over Iran

Asian equities edge up, dollar slides as US Fed Reserve subpoenaed

Iran's main trade partners at risk of Trump tariff threat

China says trade in 2025 reached 'new historical high'

AFRICA NEWS
Clearing small areas of rainforest has outsized climate impact: study

Climate-driven tree deaths speeding up in Australia

Indonesia to revoke 22 forestry permits after deadly floods

How deforestation turbocharged Indonesia's deadly floods

AFRICA NEWS
HawkEye 360 boosts RF coverage with new Cluster 13 satellites

SkyFi adds Vantor data to expand access to high resolution earth imagery

Spire adds hyperspectral sounder and Myriota payloads on SpaceX Twilight launch

Third COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation radar satellite enters service ramp-up

AFRICA NEWS
Bright emission from hidden quantum states demonstrated in nanotechnology breakthrough

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.