Foreign Minister Tuggar: We Gave US Intel and Approval for Strike Against Terrorists

By Eshioromeh Sebastian, Abuja

The Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that Nigeria provided critical intelligence and explicit presidential authorization for the United States’ Christmas Day airstrikes against terrorist targets in the country’s North-West.

Minister Tuggar, appearing on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, detailed a direct diplomatic chain of command leading to the operation.

He disclosed that he held a 19-minute call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio prior to the strike, after which they agreed to seek President Bola Tinubu’s approval.

“We agreed to talk to President Tinubu for his go ahead and he gave it. After the approval, I spoke again with Marco Rubio 5 minutes before the strike was launched against the terrorists”, Tuggar revealed.

This firsthand account from the nation’s top diplomat confirms Nigeria’s role as both an intelligence partner and the sovereign authorizer of the foreign military action on its soil. It provides official context to the gratitude recently expressed by the United States.

The acknowledgment from Washington came swiftly. U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, formally thanked the Federal Government of Nigeria for its “support & cooperation” in the Christmas Day operations, which targeted ISIS-linked terrorists.

“The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end,” Secretary Hegseth stated on social media. “The @DeptofWar is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas. More to come… Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation.”

This joint action marks a notable bilateral relations, coming just weeks after the Trump administration designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing violence against religious communities. The development signals a move from diplomatic censure to active, coordinated military engagement.

The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a separate statement issued by spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, framed the operation as part of “ongoing structured cooperation” with international partners.

“In line with established international practice and bilateral understandings, this cooperation includes the exchange of intelligence, strategic coordination, and other forms of support consistent with international law, mutual respect for sovereignty, and shared commitments to regional and global security,” the Ministry clarified.

It further emphasised the government’s guiding principle in counter-terrorism: “the primacy of protecting civilian lives and safeguarding national unity.”

The statement added, “Terrorist violence in any form whether directed at Christians, Muslims, or other communities remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security.”

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to using such established channels to degrade terrorist networks while strengthening Nigeria’s own security institutions.