The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has disclosed that the federal government provided the intelligence that led the United States’ airstrike on terrorist targets in the country and gave a formal approval for the operation to be carried out.

Tuggar disclosed this on Friday while speaking on Channels Television, less than 10 hours after the US confirmed it had launched a precision strike at a terrorist enclave in the North Western Nigeria as part of counter-terrorism operations.

The Minister revealed that the operation formed part of the counter-terrorism cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, earlier in a Friday statement signed by spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, said Nigerian authorities are engaging in a “structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America,” to address terrorism and violent extremism in the country.

The U.S. President, Donald Trump, confirmed late Thursday via his official Truth handle that the U.S. Department of War had carried out deadly strikes against Islamic State terrorists in Northwestern Nigeria.

The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) also confirmed the ongoing intelligence coordination with the Nigerian authorities to carry out the precision airstrikes in Sokoto State.

Minister Tuggar said, “It’s Nigeria that provided the intelligence. I was on the phone yesterday for 19 minutes with Secretary of State Marco Rubio of the United States. We spoke extensively, and we agreed that I was going to speak with President Tinubu for President Tinubu to give the go-ahead.

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“And I did speak with him and it was agreed also that the statements that would follow would be statements that would show clearly that it is a strike against terrorism and that it is part of the ongoing joint operations between Nigeria and collaboration between Nigeria and the United States.”

The minister added, “Nigeria has remained consistent in its approach, which is to work with all partners that are committed to the fight against terrorism, irrespective of what religion, who the victims are, whether they are Muslims or  Christians, and irrespective of what type of terrorism, be it terrorism being carried out in the name of one religion or the other, or indeed even bandage. So this is an ongoing process.

“We have been working closely with the Americans. This is what we’ve always been hoping for: to work with the Americans, work with other countries to combat terrorism, to stop the death of innocent Nigerians. So this is a vindication of the Tinubu administration.

“For those who thought that there was some foot-dragging or, you know, the government wasn’t doing enough, it is a clear indication that we are committed and we are prepared to work with all countries.”

He stressed that the operation had nothing to do with religion, noting that its sole purpose was to protect innocent lives, whether Nigerian or foreign.

“It is not to do with religion, it is to do with protecting Nigerians and the innocent lives of either Nigerians or non-Nigerians. This was clear. We spoke twice.

“We spoke for 19 minutes before the strike, and then we spoke again for another five minutes before it went on,” he said.