Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that the government was informed of the recent U.S. airstrikes on terrorist positions in Sokoto State, stressing that the operation reflected intelligence-sharing and joint coordination.
Speaking on Friday, Tuggar explained that the strikes, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, were conducted with Nigerian input to ensure precision and avoid inflaming religious tensions in the country.
“We are a multi-religious nation, and we worked closely with the U.S. to fight terrorism while safeguarding lives and property,” Tuggar said. He added that Nigeria provided critical intelligence that guided the U.S. operation and confirmed that President Bola Tinubu gave final approval before the strike.
The U.S. Department of Defense reported that “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed in the strikes, while U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and AFRICOM emphasized that the action was carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
However, the operation has faced criticism from some civil society figures. Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of CISLAC, claimed that the U.S. acted independently and suggested Nigeria’s official response was aimed more at managing public perception than asserting sovereignty.
Despite the differing narratives, the Nigerian government maintains that the strikes reflect a collaborative effort to combat terrorism while respecting the country’s religious diversity.
