The Nigerian military has dismissed claims by a senior United States official that American forces seized a large cache of electronic intelligence materials from terrorists during an operation in Nigeria.
The clarification comes after a top US counterterrorism official stated that American troops recovered a significant volume of electronic devices and intelligence records during a raid on terrorist camps in Nigeria.
Speaking on the development, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau’s office, through military spokesperson Major General Markus Kangye Samalia Uba, explained that the materials were not captured by US forces from terrorists as suggested.
According to him, the intelligence documents and electronic records were voluntarily provided to the United States by the Nigerian government as part of ongoing security and counterterrorism cooperation between both countries.
Uba said the materials contained information from previous military operations carried out by Nigerian troops against terrorist groups operating in parts of the country. He noted that the transfer formed part of intelligence-sharing arrangements aimed at strengthening efforts to combat terrorism.
The military official described the collaboration between Nigeria and the United States as a long-standing partnership focused on improving security operations and intelligence gathering.
His comments represent the first official reaction from Nigerian authorities since the statement by the American official generated public attention.
The controversy began after Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the US President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, spoke about a major operation linked to Nigeria during a public appearance in June.
Gorka claimed that US operators eliminated 199 jihadists during a military mission and recovered a large quantity of electronic materials. According to him, the intelligence haul was so extensive that an additional aircraft was required to transport the items.
He further described the materials as one of the largest intelligence recoveries recorded by the United States since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
While he did not specifically identify the operation, his description appeared to match a joint Nigeria-US counterterrorism mission announced earlier this year. The operation reportedly targeted Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, also known as Abubakar Mainok, a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The mission was widely reported as one of the significant successes recorded in the ongoing fight against insurgency in the Lake Chad region and parts of the North-East.
Reacting to questions over why the transfer of intelligence materials was not publicly announced, Uba said there was nothing unusual about the arrangement. He maintained that security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States has been publicly acknowledged on several occasions.
According to him, the partnership includes intelligence sharing, joint planning, training and operational support aimed at degrading terrorist networks.
Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also defended the intelligence-sharing arrangement.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the ministry, said providing intelligence to international partners should not be viewed negatively. He explained that such cooperation helps allies better understand the activities, capabilities and movements of terrorist groups operating within Nigeria and the wider West African region.
Ebienfa stressed that intelligence exchange remains a key part of Nigeria’s security relationship with the United States and other international partners involved in counterterrorism efforts.
He added that the government’s priority remains tackling insecurity and protecting citizens rather than making public announcements about every aspect of security cooperation.
