The Nigerian government has confirmed it provided the intelligence and that President Bola Tinubu gave the final approval for the Christmas Day U.S. airstrikes against ISIS-linked terrorists in the country’s northwestern Sokoto state.
In a statement on Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar described the mission as a “joint operation” and a “collaboration” that Nigeria had been requesting, pushing back against claims that it violated the nation’s sovereignty.
Tuggar emphasized that the operation was not aimed at any specific religion, but rather at terrorists who kill Nigerians of all faiths.
This contrasts with statements from U.S. President Donald Trump, who framed the “powerful and deadly strike” as a direct response to the “slaughter of Christians” and warned of more to come if the attacks continue.
The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth both confirmed the strikes were conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities, with Hegseth thanking the government for its “support & cooperation”.
