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Yusuf Maitama Tuggar

Yusuf Maitama Tuggar

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria

Appears in 2 stories

Notable Quotes

‘It’s impossible for there to be religious persecution that can be supported in any way, shape or form by the government of Nigeria at any level,’ Tuggar said in Berlin.([aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/4/nigeria-pushes-back-on-trumps-claims-over-christian-killings))

I had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio prior to the strike and President Bola Tinubu gave the 'go ahead.'

I had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio prior to the strike and President Bola Tinubu gave the 'go ahead.'

Stories

Nigeria’s northern security crisis pulls in France and a hardline U.S.

Force in Play

Leading Nigeria’s diplomatic rebuttal of U.S. ‘Christian genocide’ claims and defending national sovereignty

Since March 2025, jihadist attacks, mass kidnappings, and farmer-herder violence have swept across northern and central Nigeria. A February 4, 2026, jihadist massacre in Kwara State alone killed over 160 people. Major incidents include a US-Nigeria airstrike on December 25, 2025, targeting Islamic State militants; Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks killing dozens of soldiers in January 2026; and partial rescues amid ongoing banditry.

Updated 3 days ago

Trump's first strike in Nigeria

Force in Play

Coordinated with U.S. ahead of strikes while defending sovereignty

On Christmas night 2025, American warplanes struck ISIS-linked camps in northwest Nigeria, killing multiple militants in the first direct U.S. combat action inside the country—now over seven weeks ago. The operation, approved by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu after months of Trump administration threats, targeted Lakurawa/ISSP elements in Sokoto State but alarmed Jabo village residents who reported civilian panic from a missile hitting farmland. By mid-February 2026, escalation deepened as U.S. Africa Command deployed around 200 military personnel, with the initial 100 troops arriving on February 17 at Bauchi Airfield to train and support Nigerian counterterrorism efforts. Nigeria's Defence Headquarters confirmed the deployment was 'planned and deliberate' following a formal Federal Government request for military training, technical support, and intelligence sharing.

Updated Feb 18