Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
ABUJA, Nigeria – The senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has called on the United States to establish a military base in the Mandara Mountains to help eliminate Boko Haram insurgents operating in the North‑East. The lawmaker, a former Senate Chief Whip, made the appeal on Sunday, June 7, 2026, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, citing the strategic importance of the mountain range that straddles the Nigeria‑Cameroon border.
“I am hoping that they could even go far beyond, as I said earlier, when the issue of Americans coming in was reported since last year,” Ndume said. “So I wish they could even establish their base under the Mandara Mountains and drive away all those Boko Haram elements from there.” He argued that such a base would provide a vantage point for monitoring insurgent movements not only around the Mandara range but also deep into the Sambisa Forest and towards Lake Chad. “From the Mandara Mountains, it can serve as a point to even observe up to Sambisa. They have the technology to monitor those insurgents,” he added.
The senator’s appeal comes amid a recent increase in insurgent activity in the rugged Mandara region, which has served as a hideout for Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters for more than a decade. Ndume stated bluntly, “Let the Americans go to Gwoza and take over the Mandara Mountains, please. It will go a long way to cut down on insecurity.” He explained that American surveillance technology could help break the “ring road” that insurgents use to move supplies and fighters across Borno State—from Sambisa to Lake Chad, through Kaga and Mandaragirau, and down towards Gwoza. “So if that cycle can be cut off, we’ll have a reduction of insurgency. In fact, there will be nowhere for them to go to get support or supplies,” Ndume said.
The Borno South lawmaker, who has previously expressed support for renewed US airstrikes against terrorist enclaves, insisted that his proposal is not an indictment of the Nigerian military. He maintained that Nigerian forces need significantly more resources. “You can’t do that, as I said, without a team and enough boots on the ground. The Nigerian army needs the resources,” he said. Nevertheless, Ndume pointed to recent successful joint operations between Nigeria and the United States Africa Command. In May 2026, the Defence Headquarters announced that coordinated counter‑terrorism operations had resulted in the killing of 175 ISIS terrorists in North‑East Nigeria.
The call for an American base has drawn mixed reactions from political circles. Some lawmakers and security analysts argue that inviting a permanent foreign military presence would be a sovereign overreach, while others acknowledge that the Mandara Mountains have remained an unchallenged insurgent sanctuary for too long. Ndume directly addressed such concerns earlier this year, describing opposition to foreign military help as unhelpful. In a February 2026 interview, he described blanket resistance to US troops as “stupid,” stressing that ordinary Nigerians in conflict zones would welcome any assistance that guarantees their safety.
Separately, Ndume took the opportunity to caution his colleagues in the ruling All Progressives Congress against complacency ahead of the 2027 general elections. “I do not take opponents for granted because politics is very dynamic, and anybody who believes the opposition cannot pose a serious challenge in 2027 may be making a costly political mistake,” he said. He also acknowledged the widespread public frustration with the administration of President Bola Tinubu, but expressed hope for improvement. “Actually, I know that Nigerians are angry. I can see it, but these things can be corrected, and President Bola Tinubu is willing, and we are hoping that things come up,” he added.
The defence and foreign affairs ministries had not issued an official response to Ndume’s request as of Monday, June 8. However, the call is likely to reignite a long‑standing debate in the National Assembly over the extent of foreign military involvement in Nigeria’s internal security operations. For now, the sight of Boko Haram colours still flies unchallenged over the Mandara crests, and the people of Borno South—many of whom have been displaced from their ancestral lands for over a decade—continue to watch the horizon.
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