By Ayomide Otitoju
Former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has described the recent United States airstrikes in Nigeria’s North-West as a calculated and deliberate warning to terrorists, rather than a random military operation.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Amachree said the strikes send a clear message to insurgents and their supporters that sustained military action will continue. “The message is very clear. It’s a warning shot to the terrorists and their supporters, wherever they are. I believe the raids will continue,” he stated, stressing that insecurity should no longer be politicized.
Amachree noted that the operation involved highly sophisticated MQ-9 Reaper Predator drones and precision-guided missiles, which are costly and unlikely to be used symbolically. “The Reaper drone itself costs about $30–33 million, and the missiles used are about $2 million each. I don’t think the United States would wake up one morning and throw its money in the desert somewhere,” he said.
The comments follow confirmation from Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar that the strikes were officially requested and supported by the Nigerian government. The operations, conducted in Sokoto State, reportedly killed several terrorists.
Tuggar, speaking on Sunrise Daily on Friday, emphasized Nigeria’s openness to international collaboration in combating terrorism. “We have been working closely with the Americans. This is what we’ve always hoped for – to work with the Americans and other countries to combat terrorism and stop the deaths of innocent Nigerians,” he said.
He revealed that Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes and consulted with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio before securing approval from President Bola Tinubu, who stipulated that the operation be clearly identified as joint. Tuggar stressed that the strikes were not aimed at any religion, highlighting Nigeria’s multi-religious identity and commitment to protecting all lives and property.
The airstrikes represent a significant escalation in international cooperation against terrorism in Nigeria’s North-West.
