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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said the US will continue active counterterrorism cooperation with the Nigerian government and its security forces, citing a recent joint operation that eliminated a top ISIS figure.
Rubio made the remarks on Tuesday while testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a hearing on the State Department’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, the video of which was posted by Department of State on Wednesday.
He said the US Is concerned about alleged violence against Christians in Nigeria and that it will continue to provide support in addressing it.
“Nigeria, where we were all, many were very concerned about violence against Christians.
“We are now actively in counterterrorism cooperation with the Nigerian government and Nigerian security forces, including 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,” Rubio stated.
The comments come amid deepened U.S.–Nigeria security collaboration under the Trump administration.
In May 2026, U.S. and Nigerian forces conducted joint strikes in Nigeria’s northeast, targeting the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), an ISIS affiliate.
President Donald Trump publicly announced the elimination of Abu Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIS’s global number-two leader, who was operating from Nigeria.
The Nigerian military and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu confirmed the operation and said Nigeria provided key intelligence.
In December, US airstrikes also hit a terrorist enclave in Sokoto, with an unspecified number killed.
Nigeria has long faced threats from Boko Haram and ISWAP, groups responsible for many deaths, widespread displacement, and attacks on civilians in the north and Middle Belt.
The US–Nigeria cooperation came after Trump designated Nigeria a country of particular concern over alleged violence against Christians.
The federal government denied the allegation and urged cooperation. (The PUNCH, excluding headline)
