🔗 Share this article The Nigerian Government Confirms It Provided Intelligence for Christmas Day Military Strikes as US Official Predicts of More Attacks The Nigerian foreign ministry has confirmed that it played a role in the US airstrikes conducted on Christmas Day, according to the nation's foreign minister this week. Ex-President Donald Trump previously declared the aerial attacks against ISIS fighters in the northwestern region of Nigeria after spending weeks decrying the organization for targeting Christians. Extensive Discussions Preceded the Military Action Nigeria's top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated that he had held "lengthy" discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio both before and after the attack. He further added that Nigeria's leader, Bola Tinubu, had granted authorization for the military action. Tuggar did not rule out additional operations, describing them as an "ongoing process" that would also involve international partners. "This operation had no connection to a specific faith," Tuggar emphasized in an discussion with the BBC. "It is to do with targeting militants who have been killing Nigerians." American Official Predicts of Further Strikes in Nigeria Shortly following the Christmas Day operation, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned of more strikes against ISIS locations in the region. Hegseth characterized the action as part of efforts to stop the targeting of Christian individuals, a position reiterated by the ex-commander in chief. In a public statement, Hegseth stated, "He was explicit... the murder of Christian civilians in Nigeria must cease. More to come..." Supporters' Response to the Military Action The holiday military operation were met with praise by some political allies of the ex-leader, who had been calling for a strong military reaction to the attacks against Christians. "I can’t think of a more fitting manner to observe the holiday than by avenging the death of Christians," posted one well-known activist on social media. Main Takeaways from the Revelations Cooperation: Nigeria supplied key intelligence for the US-led airstrikes. Presidential Authorization: President Bola Tinubu personally authorized the strikes. Ongoing Process: The operation is described as an "ongoing process" with potential for more strikes. Secular Objective: Nigerian officials maintain the strikes are solely about counter-terrorism, not religion. American Stance: A top American official has signaled further strikes are likely. This development highlights the complex security cooperation between Nigeria and the US in addressing militant groups in the region.
The Nigerian foreign ministry has confirmed that it played a role in the US airstrikes conducted on Christmas Day, according to the nation's foreign minister this week. Ex-President Donald Trump previously declared the aerial attacks against ISIS fighters in the northwestern region of Nigeria after spending weeks decrying the organization for targeting Christians. Extensive Discussions Preceded the Military Action Nigeria's top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated that he had held "lengthy" discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio both before and after the attack. He further added that Nigeria's leader, Bola Tinubu, had granted authorization for the military action. Tuggar did not rule out additional operations, describing them as an "ongoing process" that would also involve international partners. "This operation had no connection to a specific faith," Tuggar emphasized in an discussion with the BBC. "It is to do with targeting militants who have been killing Nigerians." American Official Predicts of Further Strikes in Nigeria Shortly following the Christmas Day operation, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned of more strikes against ISIS locations in the region. Hegseth characterized the action as part of efforts to stop the targeting of Christian individuals, a position reiterated by the ex-commander in chief. In a public statement, Hegseth stated, "He was explicit... the murder of Christian civilians in Nigeria must cease. More to come..." Supporters' Response to the Military Action The holiday military operation were met with praise by some political allies of the ex-leader, who had been calling for a strong military reaction to the attacks against Christians. "I can’t think of a more fitting manner to observe the holiday than by avenging the death of Christians," posted one well-known activist on social media. Main Takeaways from the Revelations Cooperation: Nigeria supplied key intelligence for the US-led airstrikes. Presidential Authorization: President Bola Tinubu personally authorized the strikes. Ongoing Process: The operation is described as an "ongoing process" with potential for more strikes. Secular Objective: Nigerian officials maintain the strikes are solely about counter-terrorism, not religion. American Stance: A top American official has signaled further strikes are likely. This development highlights the complex security cooperation between Nigeria and the US in addressing militant groups in the region.