The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Nigeria remains actively engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States, to combat terrorism and violent extremism.

According to the ministry, the collaboration has resulted in precision air strikes targeting terrorist positions in Nigeria’s North West region.

The cooperation involves intelligence sharing, strategic coordination, and other forms of support carried out in line with international law, mutual respect for sovereignty, and existing bilateral agreements.

The government emphasized that all counter-terrorism operations are guided by the need to protect civilian lives, preserve national unity, and uphold the rights and dignity of all Nigerians, regardless of religion or ethnicity.

It stressed that violence targeting any community—Christian, Muslim, or otherwise—contradicts Nigeria’s values and threatens international peace and security.

Nigeria said it will continue working with its partners to weaken terrorist networks, disrupt their financing and logistics, address cross-border threats, and strengthen its own security and intelligence institutions. The ministry added that the public will be kept informed through official channels.

The Nigerian government’s statement followed an announcement by US President Donald Trump that the United States had carried out an airstrike against ISIL (ISIS) fighters 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,” ‌Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening.

The US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM), which is responsible for operations in Africa, said in a post on X that the air strike was carried out “at the request of Nigerian authorities” and had killed “multiple ISIS terrorists”.

“Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation,” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on social media, warning also of “more to come”, without providing details.

In a statement, AFRICOM said the strike occurred in “Soboto state,” an apparent reference to Nigeria’s Sokoto State.