Defence Minister, Maj.-Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi (retd.), has said the Federal Government approved the hostage rescue operation by the United States of America (U.S.A) forces in Nigeria.
There have been insinuations in some quarters that the rescue of an abducted American citizen in Nigeria by the United States Special military forces may have violated Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
Magashi stated this while addressing reporters after defending Defence Ministry’s 2021 budget estimates before the Senate Committee on Defence in Abuja.
The minister said the Federal Government granted the U.S permission to operate in the country being a “friendly country”.
He said: “The United States of America contacted the Nigerian government to undertake that operation. There is nothing wrong with a friendly nation taking permission to conduct an operation, which is for the mutual good of the countries. That is why we allowed it to happen.”
