Tinubu Approved US Air Strikes on Terrorists in North-West — FG

The Federal Government has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu authorized the United States to carry out air strikes against terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West, amid growing public debate over the operation.

Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar disclosed this on Friday, shortly after the US Department of Defense and President Donald Trump announced that American forces had conducted strikes against terrorist elements operating in the region.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Tuggar said the decision followed direct approval from the President and was executed as a coordinated effort between both countries.

According to him, “Now that the US is cooperating, we would do it jointly, and we would 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.”

The minister stressed that the government was conscious of Nigeria’s religious diversity and the sensitivities surrounding counterterrorism operations.

He said, “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 also addressed concerns raised by critics who described the strikes as a breach of Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

He dismissed such claims, insisting that the Federal Government would not endorse any action that undermines the country’s sovereignty, adding that all engagements with foreign partners are guided by Nigeria’s national interest and security priorities.