‘It’s Too Early to Claim Victory Over Terrorists’ — Shehu Sani

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has warned Nigerian authorities against declaring early victory over terrorist groups, stressing that insecurity remains a serious challenge in many parts of the country.

While acknowledging the efforts of Nigerian security agencies in ensuring a relatively peaceful Yuletide season, Sani argued that the calm experienced in some regions should not be attributed to recent United States airstrikes in Sokoto State.

He maintained that terrorist groups were still firmly rooted in several areas beyond Sokoto and continue to pose a threat.

The former lawmaker made his position known in a post on X, where he credited Nigeria’s defence, security and intelligence services for the improved security situation during Christmas celebrations, rather than what he described as a “one-off” US military action.

According to him, “The efforts of our Nigerian Defence, security and intelligence services ensured a relatively safe and peaceful Yuletide season in most parts of our country, and not the one-off US strike as boasted by US Rep Riley. It’s too early to claim victory over the terrorists that are more entrenched in places other than Sokoto.”

Sani’s comments come in the wake of reports that the United States carried out airstrikes in parts of Sokoto State on Christmas Day, targeting terrorist groups including ISIS-linked elements and the Lakurawa Islamic group.

The operation was reportedly approved by US President Donald Trump, in coordination with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

However, the airstrikes have generated controversy, following claims that the missiles failed to hit their intended targets and instead landed on unoccupied areas, raising doubts about their overall impact.

Sani’s remarks underscore growing calls for a sustained, locally driven security strategy rather than reliance on isolated foreign military interventions to address Nigeria’s long-running security challenges.