Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that the recent precision airstrikes conducted by United States forces on Nigerian soil were powered by locally sourced intelligence.
The operation, described as a landmark in bilateral counterterrorism efforts, marks a high point in security cooperation between Abuja and Washington.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily this Friday, the 26th of December, 2025, Tuggar clarified that the tactical success of the mission rested on data provided by the Nigerian government. He emphasized that the strike was not a unilateral foreign action but a deeply coordinated response.
“It was Nigeria that provided the intelligence for the US strike in Nigeria.”
The Minister detailed a rigorous diplomatic process leading up to the kinetic operation. Tuggar revealed that he maintained direct and frequent communication with the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to finalize the mission’s parameters.
Tuggar noted that he engaged in extensive telephone sessions with his American counterpart.
The Final Countdown: He specified the timing of these critical calls: “I was on the phone for about 19 minutes with the US Secretary of State twice.”
“We spoke for 19 minutes before the strike and another five minutes shortly before it went on,” he said.
According to the Minister, the final green light came directly from the highest level of the Nigerian government.
Following his discussions with Secretary Rubio, Tuggar briefed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to secure formal approval for the engagement.
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“We agreed that I would speak with President Tinubu for him to give the go-ahead, and I did speak with him. It was agreed,” Tuggar stated.
Furthermore, Tuggar highlighted that both nations were in lockstep regarding the narrative of the operation, ensuring the public understood the strike’s specific nature.
“We also agreed that the statement that would follow would clearly show that this was a strike against terrorism, part of an ongoing joint operation between Nigeria and the United States,” he said.
In a move to preempt any social or sectarian friction, the Minister was firm in stating that the operation was strictly a matter of national security. He dismissed any suggestions that the targets were chosen based on religious affiliations, focusing instead on the mandate to protect the populace.
“This has nothing to do with religion. It is about protecting Nigerians,” the minister emphasized.