Tinubu Approved US Air Strikes Targeting Terrorists in Nigeria, Tuggar Confirms
By Matthew Eloyi
The Federal Government has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the recent United States air strikes targeting terrorists in Nigeria’s North-West region.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed this on Friday, hours after the United States Department of War and President Donald Trump announced that American forces had carried out air strikes against terrorist elements in the region.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Tuggar explained that the operation was conducted with the full consent of the Nigerian government and in collaboration with local authorities.
“Now that the US 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,” the minister said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s diversity informed the approach taken by the government in combating insecurity, noting that the fight against terrorism transcends religious considerations.
“We are a multi-religious country, and we are working with partners like the US to fight terrorism and safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians,” Tuggar added.
The air strikes have sparked debate in some quarters, with concerns raised about a possible breach of Nigeria’s territorial integrity. However, the foreign affairs minister dismissed such fears, insisting that the Federal Government would not engage in any action capable of undermining the country’s sovereignty.
The government, he maintained, remains committed to protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity while strengthening international partnerships to tackle terrorism and insecurity.
