Dare Calls for Stronger Global Support as Nigeria Confronts Escalating Terror Threat

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, Sunday Dare, has emphasized that Nigeria cannot defeat terrorism without robust international support, urging deeper global cooperation to confront the growing security challenges.

His comments follow heightened concern over the recent abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, and the persistent threat posed by terrorist groups across the country.

In a statement shared on Wednesday, Dare underscored the crucial role of strategic alliances—particularly with the United States—in strengthening Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.

“Nigeria does not pretend it can win this war alone, nor should it have to,” he wrote, noting that the partnership between both countries has been “invaluable.”

Dare referenced the involvement of American special forces in training Nigerian naval personnel during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency, including after the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, and now again amid the kidnapping of the Maga schoolgirls.
He added that ongoing cooperation—encompassing training, intelligence sharing, and joint military exercises—remains significant but still falls short of meeting the scale of the threat.

His remarks come as Nigeria faces increased international scrutiny over its counter-terrorism approach.
In late October, former US President Donald Trump listed Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for alleged religious freedom violations, describing extremist violence as an “existential threat” to Christianity and warning that the US Department of War should be ready for “fast, vicious” action. Trump also threatened to cut American aid or intervene militarily if Nigeria failed to respond decisively.

President Bola Tinubu dismissed the claims as inaccurate, arguing that violence in the north-central region is driven by complex dynamics involving herder-farmer clashes, banditry, and extremism that targets both Christians and Muslims. He nonetheless reiterated Nigeria’s openness to cooperative counter-terrorism efforts that respect the nation’s sovereignty.