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FG confirms Nigeria supplied intelligence for US airstrike on ISIS terrorists in Sokoto State
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Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar says operation was a joint Nigeria–US effort
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President Tinubu approved strike, insists action targets terrorism, not religion or ethnicity
The Federal Government has confirmed that Nigeria provided critical military intelligence that enabled the United States to carry out recent airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in Sokoto State and other parts of northern Nigeria.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed this on Friday during an interview on Channels Television, explaining that the operation was executed through close coordination between Nigerian and US authorities.
According to Tuggar, Nigerian officials were in direct contact with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, shortly before the airstrike was launched and while it was ongoing.
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“It was Nigeria that provided intelligence for the US strike in Nigeria. We spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio twice — once 19 minutes before the strike and another time five minutes before it went on,” the minister said.
He stressed that Nigeria remains committed to collaborating with international partners, including the United States, to tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime, in order to halt the loss of innocent lives.
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Tuggar described the airstrike as a joint military operation between Nigeria and the United States, adding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu personally gave approval before the missiles were fired.
He noted that the President was emphatic that the operation must not be framed along religious or ethnic lines.
“Mr President made it clear before giving the go-ahead that it is a joint operation and that it is not targeted at any religion. Nigeria is a multi-religious country, and our cooperation with the US is purely to fight terrorism and protect lives and property,” Tuggar said.
The US airstrike, carried out on Christmas Day, has generated intense debate across Nigeria, with mixed reactions from citizens, analysts and religious leaders.
While many Nigerians have welcomed the development as a decisive step against terrorism, Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi criticised the strike and called on the government to suspend all joint military operations with the United States.
Despite the controversy, the Federal Government maintains that strategic international cooperation remains vital to restoring peace and security across the country.
