Trump Praises Tinubu’s Fight Against Terrorism, Attacks on Christian

• US President Donald Trump has praised President Bola Tinubu for his leadership in tackling terrorism and attacks against Christian communities in Nigeria.

United States President Donald Trump has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as his decisive leadership in tackling terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria, particularly attacks targeting Christian communities.

Trump made the remarks in a letter dated July 6, 2026, which was made public on Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

In the letter titled “President Trump Lauds President Tinubu’s Decisive Leadership Against Terrorists,” the US President commended Tinubu’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges while reaffirming America’s support for the country’s fight against terrorism.

“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,” Trump wrote.

He added, “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.”

Trump described the relationship between Nigeria and the United States as increasingly important, especially as terrorism and violent extremism continue to spread across West Africa.

According to him, “The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time when 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.”

The US President also highlighted ongoing military cooperation between both nations, revealing that the United States has deployed its elite Special Operations Forces to assist Nigeria’s Armed Forces through training, intelligence sharing and operational support.

“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,” Trump stated.

He expressed optimism about strengthening bilateral ties, saying, “I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency.”

According to the Presidency, Nigeria and the United States have significantly strengthened their security partnership in recent months through a Joint Working Group jointly led by the National Security Advisers of both countries.

The collaboration focuses on intelligence sharing, military training and coordinated operations against terrorist groups operating across the region.

One of the major outcomes of the partnership was the May 16 joint operation against ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad region, which reportedly led to the killing of the group’s top leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, along with several of his lieutenants.

The Presidency also disclosed that the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, recently visited Abuja, where he met with senior Nigerian government officials and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Nigeria in security and other strategic areas.