When the United States carried out airstrikes in northern Nigeria in late December, it said the operation—conducted at Abuja’s request—targeted Islamic State fighters to prevent the killing of Christians. However, experts have challenged Washington’s narrative that Christians are being systematically massacred in Nigeria, arguing that the claim, widely promoted by the American right, oversimplifies the country’s complex security and communal conflicts. Analyst Prince Charles Dickson, speaking to RFI, described the US intervention as a “warning sign” for Nigerians, cautioning that it sets a troubling precedent for external involvement in Africa’s internal governance and security affairs. Dickson is a Nigerian policy analyst and serves as the team lead at the community-focused peacebuilding organization, Tattaaunawa Roundtable Initiative (TRICentre). RFI: Did Abuja really ask for the strikes? Prince Charles Dickson: Officially, yes. Both US Africa Command and Nigerian authorities have stated that the strikes were conducted “in coordination with, and at the request of” the Nigerian government, specifically targeting ISIS-linked cells in Sokoto. However, within Nigeria, it doesn’t feel like a fully sovereign, carefully considered decision. There was no transparent public discussion, no prior briefing for citizens or… US Strikes on Nigeria Signal ‘Deeply Troubling Precedent’ for Governance Across Africa

The EFCC’s 2026 budget includes ₦1.2 billion set aside exclusively for generator fuel. Proposed Federal Government budget documents show that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has set aside ₦1,200,749,186 for generator fuel across its nationwide operations in the 2026 fiscal year, in addition to ₦1,151,240,641 allocated for electricity charges. The figures underscore the scale of public funds committed to energy consumption at a time when many Nigerians are grappling with power shortages and rising fuel costs. Previously, The ICIR reported that the State House, which houses President Bola Tinubu, planned to spend more than ₦16 billion on energy-related projects and maintenance in its 2026 proposed budget, including ₦7 billion for a solar mini-grid and nearly ₦2 billion for diesel fuel. At the current Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) petrol price of ₦839 per litre, the EFCC’s generator fuel allocation would be sufficient to purchase approximately 1.43 million litres of petrol within a year. Spread across the EFCC’s 14 zonal offices and its headquarters in Abuja, the budget suggests that each location would consume roughly 95,000 litres of petrol annually to power generators alone.… EFCC allocates ₦1bn for electricity, ₦2bn for generator and vehicle fuel in 2026