The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that Nigeria provided the intelligence and formally approved the United States airstrike on terrorist targets within the country.
Tuggar made the disclosure on Friday while speaking on Channels Television, a day after the United States announced it had carried out counter-terrorism airstrikes in Nigeria.
According to the minister, the operation was the result of ongoing security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States and was not driven by religious considerations.
He said Nigeria initiated the intelligence process and granted approval at the highest level before the strike was executed.
“It is Nigeria that provided the intelligence. I was on the phone yesterday for 19 minutes with the Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio. We spoke extensively and agreed that I would speak with President Bola Tinubu for him to give the go-ahead,” Tuggar said.
He explained that after consulting President Tinubu, approval was granted, and both countries agreed that public statements following the operation would clearly reflect that the strike was against terrorism and part of joint security efforts.
“And I did speak with him, and it was agreed that the statements that would follow would show clearly that this was a strike against terrorism and part of the ongoing collaboration between Nigeria and the United States,” he added.
Tuggar described the operation as a validation of the Tinubu administration’s security strategy, noting that Nigeria has consistently sought deeper cooperation with international partners to combat terrorism.
“Nigeria has remained consistent in its approach, which is to work with all partners committed to the fight against terrorism, irrespective of religion, whether the victims are Muslims or Christians, and regardless of the nature of the terrorism, including banditry,” he said.
The minister stressed that the operation had nothing to do with religion, insisting that its sole objective was the protection of innocent lives.
“It is not about religion. It is about protecting Nigerians and innocent lives, whether Nigerian or non-Nigerian. That was made very clear. We spoke twice, once for 19 minutes before the strike and again for five minutes before it went ahead,” he said.
Tuggar also dismissed claims of government inaction, saying the strike demonstrated Nigeria’s readiness to work with all countries willing to help end terrorism and insecurity.
“This is what we have always hoped for, to work with the Americans and other partners to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians. This is a vindication of the Tinubu administration,” he said.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that American forces had carried out airstrikes targeting suspected terrorist elements in Nigeria.
US officials said the operation was conducted using shared intelligence and in coordination with Nigerian authorities as part of efforts to weaken extremist groups.
Months earlier, Trump had warned that the United States could take action against terrorists operating in Nigeria, citing repeated attacks and violence against civilians. His comments had drawn mixed reactions in Nigeria, with officials maintaining that insecurity in the country affects both Christians and Muslims.
Nigeria has continued to battle multiple security challenges, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgency in the North-East, as well as banditry and terror attacks in the North-West, resulting in thousands of deaths and mass displacement.
While the United States has long supported Nigeria through intelligence sharing and military assistance, direct US airstrikes on Nigerian soil remain rare and often attract public attention.
