Nigerians Demand Escalation: 'Bomb Terrorists Harder' Amid Calls for Expanded U.S. Strikes"

 

Two months after United States Tomahawk missiles slammed into ISIS-linked camps in Sokoto State on Christmas Day 2025, Nigeria’s security crisis has only deepened. Instead of deterring bandits, Boko Haram factions, and killer herdsmen, the strikes appear to have triggered a fresh wave of killings, abductions, and attacks across the North and parts of the South-West. Frustrated citizens are now openly calling on Washington to “bomb terrorists harder” – with some demanding that future operations bypass Nigeria’s own military to prevent intelligence leaks.8ab741fe778c

The December 25 operation, coordinated with Nigerian authorities and announced by President Donald Trump as a blow against groups targeting Christians, killed multiple terrorists according to U.S. Africa Command. Yet reports from across the country suggest the militants have responded with increased boldness rather than retreat. Kidnappings for ransom, village raids, and highway ambushes continue unabated, leaving many ordinary Nigerians convinced that domestic forces are overstretched, compromised, or both.

Prominent voices from the Niger Delta to the South-West are now demanding escalated U.S. action. Zik Gbemre, Coordinator of the Niger Delta Peace Coalition, is blunt: “I support the US military strike on Boko Haram, bandits and killer herdsmen without informing the Nigerian military and government. The Nigerian military will always leak information to the terrorists… The Christmas day strike by the US military was successful because the Nigerian military and government were caught unaware… We need more of such strikes from the US just the way they did on Christmas day.” He argues that some Nigerian military leaders and politicians actually benefit from the ongoing chaos.0a37e6

Security consultant Nasiru Braimah, Director of Operations at Prime Verse Royal Security Services, welcomes foreign help but stresses the need for “tactical operation, modern technology and incentives to motivate” Nigerian troops. “The insecurity bedevilling us is as a result of corruption from our so-called leaders,” he said.

Former spokesman of the Movement for the Survival of the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), Amaebi Clarkson, goes further. He believes the Nigerian Army is “incapable of defeating the terrorists” because of alleged religious sympathy and information leaks within the ranks. Clarkson recommends hiring South African mercenaries – as reportedly done successfully in the twilight of the Jonathan administration – rather than full American boots on the ground, warning that U.S. combat involvement could turn Nigeria into a proxy battlefield between Washington and Beijing.

Chief Festus Ogwuche, President of the Campaign for Social Justice and Constitutional Democracy in Africa, echoes the frustration: “Partnership with the Nigeria government has proved overtime to be counterproductive… state actors and other prominent persons were involved in the sponsorship of the terrorism.”

Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) Bayelsa State Chairman David West says he once opposed foreign troops but has changed his mind: “From the look of things I have no option than to support… the US army in Nigeria should do more than just intelligence gathering and training.” Political activist Blessing Adima adds that the US team “has to be directly involved” because terrorists now appear better armed than Nigerian soldiers.

Not everyone agrees on unlimited foreign involvement. Convener of the Centre for Social and Economic Rights, Nelson Ejukujumi, cautions that any deeper US role must respect the terms of existing agreements and recognise the sacrifices already being made by Nigerian troops. Public affairs analyst Major Rasaki Salawu (rtd) warns that expanded foreign combat presence could be exploited by terrorists for propaganda, radicalisation, and recruitment. He urges focus on reforming Nigeria’s own security architecture – better intelligence fusion, border control, and community networks – rather than outsourcing the fight entirely.

Former Senator Shehu Sani has similarly urged full cooperation: “Nigeria must cooperate with U.S. to bomb terrorists harder.” And former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has called for the joint operations to be extended immediately to Boko Haram and Islamic State strongholds in the North-East.0bcd45

The debate reflects a nation exhausted by nearly two decades of insurgency. While the U.S. strikes delivered a tactical shock and some experts credit them with temporary disruption of camps, analysts caution that isolated airstrikes cannot address the deeper drivers – poverty, youth unemployment, corruption, and weak governance – that continue to feed recruitment.a58f71

Yet for many ordinary citizens watching loved ones slaughtered or kidnapped daily, the plea is simple and urgent: more strikes, more pressure, and if necessary, action that does not depend on a system many now distrust. Whether Abuja and Washington will answer that call with sustained, expanded operations – or whether Nigeria will finally overhaul its own security apparatus – may determine if the coming months bring relief or further bloodshed.