Keyamo Defends U.S.–Nigeria Security Partnership, Says Rejecting Help Against Terror Would Be “Foolish”

|By Chinwendu Nwani

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has strongly defended Nigeria’s collaboration with the United States in counterterrorism operations, insisting that no responsible government would reject external support in the fight against insurgency.

Keyamo spoke on X while responding to public debate over the Christmas Day airstrikes in parts of Sokoto State, which were linked to joint efforts targeting terrorist groups. He said turning down assistance from a capable ally at a time of heightened insecurity would be reckless.

According to the minister, national survival must outweigh concerns about optics or sentiment when lives are at risk, particularly in the North, where terrorist activities have persisted.

“When your house is on fire, it would be foolish to stop anyone with fire extinguishers from coming in to put it out,” Keyamo said, stressing that security emergencies demand practical responses, not ideological resistance.

He added that it would be unreasonable for anyone to prioritize privacy or political arguments while violent extremism threatens communities and families.

The United States government later confirmed that it carried out airstrikes against ISIS-affiliated terrorists in Nigeria. Former U.S. President Donald Trump also announced that the operation successfully hit designated targets.

The confirmation has further fueled public discussion around Nigeria’s security partnerships and the growing reliance on international cooperation to weaken terrorist networks operating within the country.