US President Trump and Defence Secretary Hegseth confirm Nigeria’s cooperation in deadly strikes.

The Federal Government has confirmed that recent airstrikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West were carried out through ongoing intelligence and security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the precision airstrikes resulted from structured collaboration with international partners, to counter terrorism and violent extremism.

The statement, signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, noted that the cooperation involves intelligence sharing, strategic coordination, and operational support conducted in line with international law and with full respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty.

According to the ministry, the counter-terrorism operations are guided by the priority of protecting civilian lives, preserving national unity, and upholding the dignity and rights of all citizens regardless of faith or ethnicity.

It stressed that terrorist violence—whether targeting Christians, Muslims, or other communities—remains a direct affront to Nigeria’s core values and a threat to international peace and security.

The confirmation followed comments by United States President Donald Trump, who announced that US forces had launched what he described as “powerful and deadly” strikes against Islamic State terrorists operating in Northwestern Nigeria.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the strikes were carried out in response to attacks that had resulted in the killing of innocent civilians, warning that further action would follow if such violence continued.

Separately, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the operation was conducted with the cooperation of the Nigerian government, expressing appreciation for the partnership between both countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that Nigeria would continue to engage 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 amid heightened security concerns following a bomb attack on a mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State, which killed five people and injured several others. Authorities suspect the incident was a suicide bombing linked to terrorist activities.