US President Donald Trump has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his decisive leadership against terrorism.

In a letter to President Tinubu, President Trump applauded Tinubu’s resolve “to tackle the issues plaguing Nigeria, especially the violence affecting Christian communities.”

According to Trump: “It is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against these terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.”

The US-Nigeria relationship flourished in recent times, with the two sides working closely in key areas, especially in tackling security challenges afflicting parts of Nigeria.

In November last year, President Trump and President Tinubu agreed to establish a Joint Working Group co-headed by the National Security Advisers of Nigeria and the United States.

Through the work of the working group, the two sides agreed on several steps, including training, intelligence sharing, and joint operations to roll back terrorist activities.

A highlight of the collaboration was the May 16 coordinated attack on ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad area, which led to the killing of the group’s top leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, and many of his lieutenants.

Last week, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja, where he held meetings with senior government officials and pledged to strengthen the cooperation between Abuja and Washington DC in security and other areas of collaboration.

Full text of the letter dated July 6, 2026: Dear Mr President, “Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people.

I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities and it is a true honor to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.

“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time where conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat.

“I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack. I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency.

” Sincerely, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a new Army battalion in the State to strengthen security and tackle banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mashood Agboola, Governor AbdulRazaq, said that the battalion will be located in Omu Aran, headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area, and is expected to boost troop deployment and military operations, particularly in areas affected by kidnappings and bandit attacks.

He described the approval as another demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing security challenges in the state.

The governor thanked President Tinubu for approving the new military formation, saying it would strengthen ongoing counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping operations.

“We are confident the new battalion will greatly strengthen counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping operations,” he said.

AbdulRazaq also commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, for the swift processing of the request, and appreciated the Office of the National Security Adviser and other security agencies for their efforts to combat violent crime.

[File photo]: Nuhu Ribadu

The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged establishment of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PFIPC, without legal backing has summoned the National Security Adviser, NSA, and Minister of Foreign Affairs to explain how the council allegedly operated despite concerns over its legitimacy.

The NSA was particularly summoned to explain why his office did not stop the promoter of PFIPC, Prince Adeniyi Matthew Adeyemi, from progressing with the agency after the Foreign Affairs Ministry exposed it as an illegal entity.

The committee also issued a final ultimatum to some concerned Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to appear before it tomorrow.

The summons followed the submission of a memorandum by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dunoma Umar Ahmed, which stated that the ministry had no official dealings with the council and had, instead, sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser after detecting irregularities in its correspondence.

During an appearance before the panel yesterday with a letter dated July 21, 2026, Ahmed disclosed that Prince Adeyemi, who presented himself as Director-General of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, PEAC/PFIPC, approached the ministry three times seeking its collaboration and endorsement to organise a World Investment Summit in Nigeria.

The ministry said the requests were received on June 26, 2025, August 5, 2025, and June 5, 2026, but were not acted upon.“Guided by extant rules and regulations as well as the necessity of carrying out due diligence before obliging any request, the ministry did not take any action on the requests.

“The ministry’s refusal to oblige the requests was further necessitated by some of the discrepancies observed in the letters submitted by Prince Adeyemi and the ongoing investigation on the legitimacy of the PFIPC and the personality of its alleged Director-General,” the letter read.

The ministry further revealed that it wrote to the Office of the National Security Adviser on October 16, 2025, seeking clarification on the status of Prince Adeyemi.

According to the ministry, the NSA responded on November 26, 2025, indicating that enquiries made with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President showed that “Prince Mathew Adeyemi is unknown to any office of the Federal Government.”

Ahmed also categorically informed the committee that the ministry had no relationship with the council, adding that “the ministry did not participate in any diplomatic engagement, bilateral and multilateral discussions held by the PFIPC.

Questioning the ministry’s response, a committee member, Abubakar Hassan Fulata, queried why stronger measures were not taken after the ministry received confirmation that the council lacked legal recognition.

“After confirming from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the Chief of Staff to Mr President that this entity does not exist legally, did you communicate to the so-called Director-General that this organisation is illegal and that you should not interact with it any further?” Fulata queried.

“The ministry has never had any official interaction or engagement with the PFIPC or its alleged Director-General.”

Responding to the concerns, the committee chairman said the ministry had acted appropriately by referring the matter to the National Security Adviser but insisted that the security office must now account for what followed.“The Office of the National Security Adviser should appear before this committee and explain that aspect.”

(Vanguard News)