Nigerian Publisher Questions Leadership Silence After US Airstrike

Media entrepreneur Chief Dele Momodu has criticised Nigeria’s leadership for remaining silent after reports emerged of a United States-led military operation against terrorist targets on Nigerian territory.

Momodu, who is also the publisher of Ovation magazine, raised the question in the wake of the reported strike. His intervention highlights growing domestic concern over both the presence of foreign military action on sovereign soil and the apparent absence of an official Nigerian reaction.

Nigeria has faced a long-running Islamist insurgency, particularly in its northeastern region where groups such as Boko Haram and its splinter Islamic State West Africa Province have carried out attacks for more than 15 years. The conflict has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions, prompting successive governments to seek international security assistance.

The United States has previously conducted drone strikes and provided intelligence and training support to Nigerian forces in the fight against these groups. However, any direct strike on Nigerian territory would normally be expected to involve prior coordination with or at least notification to the Nigerian authorities.

The reported operation comes at a time when Nigeria continues to struggle with multiple security challenges across different regions. In the northwest, banditry and kidnapping for ransom remain widespread. In the southeast, separatist agitation has led to sporadic violence. These overlapping crises have stretched the country’s security apparatus and drawn international attention.

Momodu’s public questioning reflects broader frustration among some Nigerian commentators that the country’s leadership appears reluctant to assert a clear position on foreign military involvement. Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy, is often sensitive to perceived infringements on its sovereignty.

The absence of any official statement from the Nigerian government in the days following the reported strike has left room for speculation and criticism. As of the time of the dispatch, no details had been released about the precise location of the strike, its outcome, or whether Nigerian officials had been informed in advance.

The episode underscores the complex interplay between Nigeria’s domestic security needs and the diplomatic and operational realities of cooperating with foreign powers in counter-terrorism efforts.

Based on reporting by Vanguard Nigeria.