By George Omagbemi Sylvester
The Nigerian Presidency, through Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Oshodi, has confirmed that Nigeria is collaborating with intelligence agencies from the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, China and France to support its fight against persistent insecurity across the country. The disclosure was made in Abuja on 2 March 2026 during an interview on Arise TV, as the government outlined a shift toward intelligence‑driven security operations.
Oshodi said the joint effort marks a strategic shift from purely military responses to a system that emphasises intelligence gathering, financial tracking and prosecutable evidence to address terrorism, banditry, kidnappings and other violent crimes. He stressed that partnering with global intelligence partners helps Nigeria trace terror financing, freeze illicit accounts and build stronger cases against suspects rather than relying solely on kinetic military action.
The presidency also made clear that while working with foreign intelligence services, Nigeria will protect its sovereignty and only engage when it serves national security interests, dismissing notions that such cooperation undermines independence.
Analysts say the multi‑lateral intelligence approach reflects the complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges (from Boko Haram and ISWAP in the northeast to banditry in the northwest) and underscores a growing reliance on global expertise to improve domestic security outcomes.
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