Presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala has defended the Tinubu administration’s security record, arguing that a commendation letter from United States President Donald Trump is proof that Nigeria’s security partnership with the US is yielding concrete results.
In an on Channels Television’s Politics Today monitored by The News Chronicle, Bwala urged Nigerians to focus on the substance of the letter rather than the controversy surrounding its release.
“The issue is not when the letter was released. The issue is the content of the letter and what it says about Nigeria’s security cooperation with the United States,” Bwala said.
He maintained that the letter reflects growing international recognition of President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to tackle terrorism and strengthen bilateral security ties with Washington.
According to Bwala, intelligence sharing and military collaboration between Nigeria and the United States have produced major counterterrorism breakthroughs, including the elimination of a senior ISIS commander and the foiling of planned terrorist attacks.
“Our collaboration with the United States has produced tangible results. We’ve taken out high-value terrorist targets and prevented attacks through intelligence sharing,” he said.
Bwala also defended the Federal Government’s rehabilitation programme for repentant insurgents, explaining that many Boko Haram fighters were abducted as children and forced into the terrorist group.
“Many of these children were kidnapped from their communities and conscripted into Boko Haram. When they escape and surrender, international humanitarian law requires that they be rehabilitated,” he said, while acknowledging that some rehabilitated fighters had returned to insurgency.
During a heated exchange with anchor Seun Okinbaloye, Bwala brushed aside repeated questions about his past criticism of President Tinubu before joining the administration, insisting his previous remarks were no longer relevant.
“My past comments are not the issue. What matters is what this administration is doing today in improving security and governance,” he said, accusing the opposition of focusing on distractions instead of the government’s achievements.
