Trump lauds Tinubu over fight against terrorism, pledges support

Says “it is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against these terrorists”

.Trump’s letter to Tinubu proof US-Nigeria cooperation is yielding results — Presidency

STEPHEN GBADAMOSI, IBADAN

United States (US) President, Donald Trump, has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his decisive leadership “on behalf of the Nigerian people.”

In a letter to President Tinubu, President Trump applauded Tinubu’s resolve “to tackle the issues plaguing Nigeria, especially the violence affecting Christian communities.”

The information was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday.

According to Trump, “it is 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.”

Onanuga said the US-Nigeria relationship had flourished in recent times, with the two sides working closely in key areas, especially in tackling security challenges afflicting parts of Nigeria.

He said in November last year, President Trump and President Tinubu agreed to establish a Joint Working Group co-headed by the National Security Advisers of Nigeria and the United States. Through the work of the working group, the two sides agreed on several steps, including training, intelligence sharing, and joint operations to roll back terrorist activities.

“A highlight of the collaboration was the May 16 coordinated attack on ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad area, which led to the killing of the group’s top leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, and many of his lieutenants

“Last week, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja, where he held meetings with senior government officials and pledged to strengthen the cooperation between Abuja and Washington DC in security and other areas of collaboration,” he added.

Full text of the letter, dated July 6, 2026, reads:

“Dear Mr President, thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people. I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities and it is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.

“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time where conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat.

“I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack. I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency.”

“Sincerely,

Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America.”

Meanwhile, the Presidency has described a commendation letter sent by United States President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu as further evidence that Nigeria’s security collaboration with the United States is producing tangible results.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.

Bwala said public attention should focus on the substance of the letter and the progress recorded through the bilateral partnership, rather than the timing of its release.

According to him, the letter reflects growing international recognition of the Tinubu administration’s efforts to strengthen security cooperation with the United States.

“The letter was written by the United States government applauding the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for deeper cooperation. Unfortunately, we are not discussing that today. Is it fair to the Nigerian people? Is it fair to the Nigerian people in rural areas who want to know that this country has experienced progress to the point where our collaboration is yielding results?

“The letter is the recognition of the results of the collaboration that has assumed a much deeper and commendable level. The second-in-command in ISIS globally was eliminated in Nigeria because of the joint operation. We eliminated and foiled their attacks because of the joint operation. We have deepened cooperation to the point where we share intelligence, conduct local training and carry out joint operations,” he said.

The presidential aide added that the letter highlights the progress made in Nigeria’s relationship with the United States, noting that similar diplomatic gains are being recorded with other countries.

“The letter exemplifies and explains the progress we have made so far with the United States, and we have similar progress with the rest of the world,” he stated.

Asked how President Tinubu interprets the letter, Bwala said its contents speak for themselves.

“The facts speak for themselves. The letter is further proof of the progress we are making. Does it mean that if there was no letter we would stop? No, because we are already engaging and communicating with them,” the special adviser noted.

Responding to questions about why the Presidency only made the July 6 letter public on July 22, Bwala dismissed concerns over the timing, insisting that the contents of the correspondence were more important.

“Is the content of the letter false? You have to concentrate on the essentials in order not to be distracted. The fact right now is that President Trump has written a letter to President Tinubu. The Nigerian people and what impacts them are more important to us than baseless rhetoric,” Bwala said.

He maintained that Nigerians are “extremely happy” with the administration’s progress in tackling insecurity.

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