🔗 Share this article The Nigerian Government Discloses It Furnished Intelligence for Christmas Day Airstrikes as Defense Secretary Predicts of Additional Attacks Nigeria's foreign ministry has announced that it provided crucial intelligence in the US airstrikes conducted on December 25, as stated by the nation's foreign minister on Friday. Former President Donald Trump had announced the strikes targeting Islamic State fighters in north-west Nigeria after a period of criticizing the group for targeting Christians. Detailed Consultations Came Before the Operation Nigeria's top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, explained that he had engaged in "extensive" discussions with America's top diplomat Marco Rubio both before and after the attack. He further added that Nigeria's leader, Bola Tinubu, had approved for the airstrikes. Tuggar did not rule out additional operations, characterizing them as an "ongoing process" that would potentially include other countries. "This operation had no connection to a specific faith," Tuggar emphasized in an interview with the BBC. "It is about targeting militants who have been murdering Nigerian citizens." American Official Predicts of Further Strikes in Nigeria Hours after the initial strikes, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned of additional military actions against ISIS locations in the region. Hegseth described the strikes as part of a mission to halt the killing of Christians, a position echoed by the former president. In a public statement, Hegseth wrote, "The president was explicit... the murder of Christian civilians in Nigeria must cease. More to come..." Political Reaction to the Airstrikes The holiday military operation were hailed by some supporters of the former president, who had been agitating for a strong military reaction to the attacks against Christians. "There is no a better way to observe the holiday than by avenging the death of Christians," commented one well-known activist on social media. Main Takeaways from the Revelations Intelligence Sharing: Nigeria actively provided key intelligence for the American airstrikes. High-Level Approval: President Bola Tinubu gave the green light for the strikes. Continuous Effort: The campaign is viewed as an "continuing mission" with the possibility of future actions. Secular Objective: Nigerian officials strongly insist the targeting are solely about counter-terrorism, not religious affiliation. US Commitment: A top American defense leader has indicated further military actions are likely. This development highlights the evolving security cooperation between Nigeria and the US in addressing militant groups in the Sahel area.
Nigeria's foreign ministry has announced that it provided crucial intelligence in the US airstrikes conducted on December 25, as stated by the nation's foreign minister on Friday. Former President Donald Trump had announced the strikes targeting Islamic State fighters in north-west Nigeria after a period of criticizing the group for targeting Christians. Detailed Consultations Came Before the Operation Nigeria's top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, explained that he had engaged in "extensive" discussions with America's top diplomat Marco Rubio both before and after the attack. He further added that Nigeria's leader, Bola Tinubu, had approved for the airstrikes. Tuggar did not rule out additional operations, characterizing them as an "ongoing process" that would potentially include other countries. "This operation had no connection to a specific faith," Tuggar emphasized in an interview with the BBC. "It is about targeting militants who have been murdering Nigerian citizens." American Official Predicts of Further Strikes in Nigeria Hours after the initial strikes, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned of additional military actions against ISIS locations in the region. Hegseth described the strikes as part of a mission to halt the killing of Christians, a position echoed by the former president. In a public statement, Hegseth wrote, "The president was explicit... the murder of Christian civilians in Nigeria must cease. More to come..." Political Reaction to the Airstrikes The holiday military operation were hailed by some supporters of the former president, who had been agitating for a strong military reaction to the attacks against Christians. "There is no a better way to observe the holiday than by avenging the death of Christians," commented one well-known activist on social media. Main Takeaways from the Revelations Intelligence Sharing: Nigeria actively provided key intelligence for the American airstrikes. High-Level Approval: President Bola Tinubu gave the green light for the strikes. Continuous Effort: The campaign is viewed as an "continuing mission" with the possibility of future actions. Secular Objective: Nigerian officials strongly insist the targeting are solely about counter-terrorism, not religious affiliation. US Commitment: A top American defense leader has indicated further military actions are likely. This development highlights the evolving security cooperation between Nigeria and the US in addressing militant groups in the Sahel area.