Former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has thrown his weight behind First Lady Oluremi Tinubu following her endorsement of recent United States air strikes targeting terrorist groups in Sokoto State.
Sani described the December 2025 US-led air strikes in the North-West as a “welcome development”, insisting that military action against bandits and terrorists remains necessary to curb insecurity in the region.
Reacting to the backlash against Mrs Tinubu, the former lawmaker questioned why her remarks had drawn criticism despite the scale of atrocities committed by armed groups operating in northern Nigeria.
Speaking on Tuesday via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Sani called for sustained aerial operations, including intensified action by the Nigerian Air Force, against criminal elements.
“The December air strikes against bandits and terrorists in the North was a welcome development.
More strikes by our Air Force are needed against those mass murderers, rapists and kidnappers,” he wrote.
Sani, who represented Kaduna Central from 2015 to 2019, further defended the First Lady’s comments, stressing that her position aligned with the realities on the ground.
“What Senator Remi said is right. I don’t know why some people are attacking her in view of the heinous atrocities of those terrorists,” he added.
The air strikes occurred on December 25, 2025, when US forces, working with the Nigerian government, reportedly bombed suspected Islamic State (IS) hideouts in Sokoto State, near the Niger Republic border.
Former US President Donald Trump later described the operation as a “Christmas present”, claiming it dealt a major blow to IS militants responsible for attacks on Christian communities.
While US Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that several militants were killed, conflicting reports suggested the strikes may have hit abandoned camps or empty farmlands.
During a recent visit to Washington, D.C., the First Lady praised the US intervention, describing it as a “blessing” and expressing optimism about expanded cooperation between both countries.
In an interview with Fox News, Mrs Tinubu said Nigeria was eager to deepen collaboration with the United States on counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, and security operations.
“The intervention of the U.S. was quite a welcome development.
Nigeria looks forward to greater collaboration with the United States on security issues, and we expect there will be more,” she said.
Her remarks came amid heightened scrutiny from US lawmakers over religious violence in Nigeria, following Trump’s designation of the country as a nation of particular concern.
