Auwal Rafsanjani, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), stated that the United States did not inform Nigeria nor seek its permission before conducting airstrikes on terrorists in the Northwest, emphasizing that Washington acted independently of the Nigerian government.
Rafsanjani made these remarks on Friday while speaking on Arise Television. He criticized Nigeria’s management of the situation and described the federal government’s response as an effort to shape public perception rather than assert its sovereignty.
According to him, the United States carried out the airstrikes without consultation with Nigerian authorities, insisting that no formal approval was requested or granted.
“The American government did not get any approval for it to take any action in Nigeria. In fact, as a matter of fact, what the Nigerian government has done is face-saving,” Rafsanjani said.
He further argued that the United States’ stance, as indicated by former President Donald Trump’s public announcement, clearly demonstrated that Nigeria’s consent was not necessary for such actions.
“America does not need Nigeria’s approval to carry out their action; it’s clear even in the way and manners in which Trump had made his announcement,” he added.
Rafsanjani connected this development to what he described as Nigeria’s weak foreign policy and its inability to effectively communicate its position on security issues to the international community. He noted that the situation highlights wider governance and policy challenges facing the nation.
“This incident is a pointer to the fact that the country is failing in its constitutional obligation; the country is failing in its mandate,” he stated.
He maintained that the state’s inability to protect lives and property further diminished Nigeria’s standing and influence in its dealings with foreign powers.
“The mandate to protect lives and property has been failed. We probably have an outdated foreign policy document that fails to allow us to communicate properly,” Rafsanjani said.
Additionally, the CISLAC executive director warned against narratives suggesting that insecurity in Nigeria is fueled by religious conflict, labeling such claims as misleading and dangerous.
“This attack promoted misleading information that the country is in a religious war between the Muslims and Christians, and that is a very dangerous framing. We all know what Nigeria is, and that is not the case,” he said.
He stressed that violent extremism affects Nigerians across both religious and geographical boundaries.
“We have terrorists terrorizing Nigerians irrespective of their religion or geographical locations,” Rafsanjani added.
Rafsanjani urged the federal government to urgently reassess its security and foreign policy frameworks to bolster Nigeria’s sovereignty, enhance international relations, and restore public confidence.
Earlier, the Nigerian Government confirmed that President Bola Tinubu had approved the recent U.S. airstrikes against terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-Western region, dismissing claims that the operation violated the country’s sovereignty.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar disclosed this on Friday, hours after the U.S. Department of War and President Donald Trump announced that American forces had executed strikes against terrorists in the region.
According to Tuggar, the airstrikes were conducted with Nigeria’s full knowledge and consent, having been preceded by consultations at the highest levels of government.
The minister stated that President Tinubu personally authorized the operation, emphasizing that the action was part of collaborative efforts to combat terrorism and protect Nigerian lives and property.
“Now that the U.S. is cooperating, we will do it jointly, and we will ensure, just as the President emphasized 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 while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
He reinforced that Nigeria remains a pluralistic and multi-religious society, asserting that security operations are not aimed at any specific faith group.
“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,” the minister added.
The airstrikes have ignited public debate, with some critics labeling the action as a violation of Nigeria’s territorial integrity and an infringement on national sovereignty.
However, Tuggar dismissed such concerns, maintaining that the Federal Government would not authorize any military action that undermines Nigeria’s independence or territorial authority.
He asserted that the strikes occurred within the framework of international cooperation and mutual respect between Nigeria and its allies.
The minister’s remarks come amid increasing security challenges in Nigeria’s North-West, where armed groups have continued to execute attacks on communities, security personnel, and critical infrastructure.
