US Airstrikes: This is what we’ve always wanted – FG

The Federal Government has said the recent US airstrikes in Nigeria’s North-West were exactly what it had sought, describing the operation as a joint effort to tackle terrorism and protect lives across the region.

Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar told Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday that the strikes, announced earlier by the US Department of War and President Donald Trump, were carried out with full coordination and approval from Nigerian authorities.

“Now that the US is cooperating, we would do it jointly, and we would ensure, just as the President emphasised before he gave the go-ahead, that it must be made clear that it is a joint operation, and it is not targeting any religion,” Tuggar said.

He added, “We are a multi-religious country, and we are working with partners like the US to fight terrorism and safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians.”

Addressing concerns that the airstrikes could infringe on Nigeria’s territorial integrity, Tuggar reassured that the Federal Government would not take any action that violates the country’s sovereignty.

“It is a collaboration; it is what we have been calling for,” the minister said, stressing Nigeria’s determination to tackle terrorism with the help of international partners