Senator Ali Ndume Calls for US Military Base in Borno
Senator Ali Ndume has urged the United States to establish a military base in Borno State, arguing that an American presence in the Mandara Mountains could help weaken Boko Haram. Ndume, who represents Borno South in the Senate and formerly served as Senate Chief Whip, made the call on Sunday during an appearance on Channels Television.
Speaking amid fresh concerns about terrorist activity in the region, Ndume said American forces had the technology and firepower to do what Nigerian troops alone had struggled to achieve: cutting off the supply routes and movement corridors that insurgents rely on. "Let the Americans go to Gwoza and take over the Mandara Mountains," he said, adding that the area's geography made it a strategic vantage point from which forces could monitor activity as far as Sambisa Forest.
Ndume's argument was rooted in terrain. He described a corridor running from Sambisa through Lake Chad, into Kaga, and down through Mandaragirau toward Gwoza, a route he said insurgents use to move men, weapons, and supplies around Borno State. Military operations against Boko Haram and its splinter factions have continued across Borno State for more than a decade. Breaking that cycle, he argued, would effectively strand terrorist elements with no means of resupply or reinforcement. But he was clear that achieving this required more than intent. "You can't do that without a team and enough boots on the ground," he said. "The Nigerian army needs the resources."
His comments arrive at a moment of active security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States. Last month, the Defence Headquarters announced that joint counter-terrorism operations carried out with the United States Africa Command had resulted in the elimination of several ISIS fighters in the North-East. Director of Defence Information Major General Samaila Uba described the coordinated strikes as meaningful progress in efforts to dismantle terrorist networks in the region.
Borno State has remained the centre of gravity of Nigeria's insurgency crisis for over a decade. Military operations against Boko Haram and its splinter factions have continued across the Sambisa Forest, the Mandara Mountains, and the Lake Chad Basin, with security forces making incremental gains but falling short of a decisive resolution. Ndume's call reflects a view held by a number of observers that the scale of the challenge requires sustained external support in intelligence, equipment, and personnel, beyond what Nigeria can currently deploy on its own. There has been no response to his remarks.
