Nigeria blames US arms ban, Libyan collapse for rising terrorism

Nigeria’s worsening security situation is driven by a combination of international and regional factors, the country's Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar told CNN.

Speaking in an extensive interview, Tuggar emphasized the country’s commitment to fighting terrorism while clarifying misconceptions about the nature of the threat.

Tuggar cited two key factors behind the rise in attacks: the US restrictions on arms supplies under the “Leahy laws” and the collapse of state institutions in Libya following the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. “The existing laws have limited the export of both lethal and non-lethal American weaponry to Nigeria,” he explained, adding that the situation in Libya—including the destruction of state structures—further exacerbated regional instability.

Addressing a recent US strike targeting terrorist elements in Nigeria, Tuggar confirmed he had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio beforehand, and that President Bola Tinubu had given the “go ahead.” “This is not about religion. It is about Nigerians, innocent civilians, and the wider region as a whole,” he stressed.

On the broader terrorism threat in West Africa, particularly the Sahel, Tuggar highlighted the demographic realities of the region. “When you talk about the Sahel, (the) majority are Muslims. They’re not Christians,” he said, emphasizing that Nigeria’s anti-terror efforts are non-discriminatory. “Whoever is prepared to work with us to fight terrorism, we’re ready, willing and able. We demonstrated this yesterday.”

Security analysts suggest that the strike may have targeted Lakurawa, a lesser-known extremist group active in northwestern Nigeria. The group has increasingly carried out attacks on remote communities and security forces, prompting Nigerian authorities to declare it a terrorist organization in January 2025 and ban its activities nationwide. Tuggar did not specify which group was targeted.

Tuggar underlined Nigeria’s inclusive approach to counterterrorism, saying: “We’re not going to dwell or pour over forensically on what has been said – or what hasn’t been said,” stressing that Nigeria’s focus is “to fight against terrorism, to stop the terrorists from killing innocent Nigerians, be (they) Muslim, Christian, atheist, whatever religion.”

He highlighted the complex nature of violence in the northwest, where criminal banditry increasingly overlaps with jihadist activity, creating a hybrid crime-terrorism threat. In states like Sokoto, home to four million people—most of them Muslim—the interplay of local bandit groups and Islamic State-affiliated networks has intensified insecurity.

The US Department of Defense released video footage of the December 25 strike, which President Donald Trump described on Truth Social as targeting “ISIS Terrorist Scum” and vowed to continue protecting Christians in Nigeria.

By Vafa Guliyeva