The Nigerian Government Confirms It Furnished Intelligence for US-Led Airstrikes as Defense Secretary Predicts of More Operations
The Nigerian government has confirmed that it played a role in the US airstrikes carried out on Christmas Day, according to the nation's foreign minister this week.
Former President Donald Trump previously declared the strikes targeting ISIS militants in the northwestern region of Nigeria after a period of decrying the organization for attacking Christians.
Extensive Consultations Preceded the Military Action
Nigeria's foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, explained that he had held "lengthy" discussions with America's top diplomat Marco Rubio immediately before and after the airstrike.
He further added that Nigeria's president, Bola Tinubu, had given the "go-ahead" for the airstrikes. Tuggar left the door open for additional operations, describing them as an "ongoing process" that would also involve international partners.
"The strikes had no connection to a particular religion," Tuggar emphasized in an interview with the BBC. "The objective is to do with attacking terrorists who have been killing Nigerians."
US Warns of Further Strikes in Nigeria
Hours after the initial strikes, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth cautioned of additional military actions against Islamic State targets in north-western Nigeria.
Hegseth described the strikes as part of efforts to halt the killing of Christians, a position reiterated by the former president. In a social media post, Hegseth wrote, "The president was explicit... the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria must cease. More to come..."
Political Reaction to the Military Action
The Christmas Day strikes were hailed by some political allies of the ex-leader, who had been agitating for a forceful response to the violence against Christians.
"I can’t think of a better way to observe the holiday than by avenging the death of Christians," commented one well-known political figure on a digital platform.
Main Takeaways from the Revelations
- Intelligence Sharing: Nigeria actively provided crucial information for the American operation.
- High-Level Approval: President Bola Tinubu gave the green light for the strikes.
- Continuous Effort: The operation is described as an "continuing mission" with potential for future actions.
- Secular Objective: Nigerian officials strongly insist the strikes are solely about counter-terrorism, not religion.
- American Stance: A senior US defense leader has indicated further strikes are on the horizon.
The situation underscores the evolving security cooperation between the West African nation and the US in combating terrorist threats in the Sahel area.