Defence Headquarters says electronic materials cited by a US official were recovered by Nigerian troops during earlier operations and handed over under bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) 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 and flew them out of the country.
The Nigerian military clarified that the electronic materials were recovered during previous counter-terrorism operations conducted by the Armed Forces of Nigeria and were later voluntarily shared with the United States as part of an existing intelligence-sharing and security partnership.
The clarification was made by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Samalia Mohammed Uba, marking the first official response by Nigerian authorities to the claims made by the United States.
DHQ Clarifies Intelligence Sharing
According to the Defence Headquarters, the intelligence materials contained declassified information obtained during earlier counter-terrorism operations by Nigerian troops and were not seized by American forces during any independent operation in Nigeria.
The military stressed that the transfer of the materials formed part of the longstanding counter-terrorism cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.
“The materials were given to the US,” the Defence spokesman said, explaining that the exchange was carried out under existing security collaboration between both countries.
He added that the intelligence should not be misconstrued as evidence that American forces independently recovered the materials from terrorists operating in Nigeria.
US Official’s Claims Sparked Controversy
The clarification followed remarks by Sebastian Gorka, the US Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, who claimed that American forces recovered a massive cache of electronic materials during an operation in Nigeria.
Gorka also alleged that US operators killed 199 jihadists during the mission and recovered what he described as the largest volume of enemy electronic intelligence since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“I watched our operators kill 199 jihadis in one operation and seize an unprecedented volume of intelligence materials,” Gorka reportedly said.
READ ALSO:
- Nigerian Army Assures Safety in South-East Amid Fake Sit-at-Home Threats
- Nigerian Army Dismantles Illegal Weapons Factory in Plateau
- How We Rescued Oyo School Children – Army
- Army Chief Pledges Stronger Military Response to Banditry in Niger
Responding to the statement, the Defence Headquarters maintained that the intelligence exchange should not be interpreted as the outcome of a fresh American military operation in Nigeria.
“It is not a new operation. We have previously communicated our highly successful joint operations in May. Nigeria-US joint operations and collaboration are very much on course,” the Defence spokesman said.
The military reiterated that intelligence sharing remains a key component of the strategic security partnership between Nigeria and the United States in the fight against terrorism and other transnational security threats.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.