The Federal Government has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved recent United States air strikes against terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-Western region, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has said.
Tuggar disclosed this on Friday, hours after the United States Department of War and President Donald Trump announced that American forces had carried out strikes against terrorist groups operating in the region.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, the minister said the operation was conducted with the consent of the Nigerian government and in collaboration with U.S. authorities.
“Now that the U.S. is cooperating, we would do it jointly, and we would ensure, just as the President emphasised yesterday before he gave the go-ahead, that it must be made clear that it is a joint operation, and it is not targeting any religion nor simply in the name of one religion or the other,” Tuggar said.
He stressed that the action was part of broader efforts to combat terrorism and protect citizens, noting Nigeria’s diverse religious composition.
“We are a multi-religious country, and we are working with partners like the U.S. to fight terrorism and safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians,” he added.
The strikes have sparked debate in some quarters, with critics questioning whether they constitute a breach of Nigeria’s territorial integrity. However, Tuggar dismissed such concerns, insisting that the Federal Government would not approve any action that undermines the country’s sovereignty.
According to him, all measures taken were in line with Nigeria’s national interest and its ongoing fight against terrorism.
