FG Releases Statement on U.S. Military Airstrikes on Terrorist Groups in Nigeria

• The Federal Government has confirmed continued security and intelligence cooperation with the United States following precision airstrikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North West.

The Federal Government has confirmed ongoing security and intelligence cooperation between Nigeria and the United States following airstrikes that struck terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North West.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the collaboration with Washington had resulted in precision airstrikes against terrorist locations in the region. The statement, signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, noted that Nigeria remains engaged in “structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America,” to tackle terrorism and violent extremism.

According to the ministry, the cooperation involves intelligence sharing, strategic coordination and other forms of support, carried out in line with international law, respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty and shared security commitments. It added that the collaboration had directly contributed to the recent precision strikes on terrorist targets in the North West.

“Nigeria reiterates that all counter-terrorism efforts are guided by the primacy of protecting civilian lives, safeguarding national unity, and upholding the rights and dignity of all citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity,” the statement said.

The ministry further stressed that terrorist violence, “whether directed at Christians, Muslims, or other communities, remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security.”

See statement below:

The statement followed comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said on Thursday that American forces had carried out deadly strikes against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in northwest Nigeria.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He added that, “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”

Trump also warned that further attacks would follow if the killings continued, saying that if the violence did not stop, “there would be hell to pay.”

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In a separate post, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes were carried out with Nigeria’s cooperation, thanking the Nigerian government for its support and noting that the Department of War was “always ready.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nigeria would continue to work with its international partners through established diplomatic and security channels to weaken terrorist networks, disrupt their financing and logistics, and prevent cross-border threats.

The airstrikes came a day after a bomb attack on a mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State, killed five people and injured dozens in an incident authorities suspect was a suicide bombing, underscoring the persistent security challenges facing the country.