Story Highlights
On December 26, 2025, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar officially addressed the recent US airstrikes targeting ISIS elements in Northern Nigeria. Speaking to the press, Tuggar emphasised that the operation was a coordinated military effort, not a violation of territory, reinforcing the strategic partnership between Abuja and Washington to neutralise high-value terror threats.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has moved to quell diplomatic concerns surrounding the recent high-profile military engagement in Northern Nigeria.
Addressing reporters on December 26, 2025, the diplomat provided much-needed clarity on the operational framework that allowed foreign air power to engage targets on Nigerian soil.
Diplomacy Meets Firepower
Tuggar stated that the government remains fully in charge of its internal security architecture despite the foreign involvement.
Crucially, the Minister’s comments come just days after international headlines spiked when Trump confirmed the US strike on social media, sparking debates about the scale of American involvement in the region.
ValidUpdates understands that the operation was not a unilateral action by the Pentagon but a meticulously planned engagement involving Nigerian intelligence.
This alignment aligns with earlier reports from Abuja, where Nigeria confirmed joint US airstrikes were specifically targeting entrenched terror networks in the North West that have long evaded local containment.
Sovereignty and Strategy
The Foreign Minister dismissed fears that the airstrikes undermined Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
Tuggar explained that modern counter-terrorism often requires cross-border collaboration and advanced technical support which partners like the United States provide.
Security experts suggest that this latest development marks a significant escalation in the war against ISIS affiliates in the region.
The coordinated attack signals a shift from containment to direct decapitation of terror leadership cells operating within the country’s borders.
