The United States has launched airstrikes against Islamic State–linked militants operating in north-western Nigeria, in an operation Nigerian authorities say was jointly planned and approved by the Federal Government.
The strikes, which took place late on Christmas Day, targeted militant camps in Sokoto State close to the border with Niger. US and Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation resulted in the deaths of several militants, although exact casualty figures have not been independently verified.
Announcing the operation, US President Donald Trump said the strikes were ordered under his authority as Commander-in-Chief, describing them as a decisive action against extremist groups in the region.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in North-West Nigeria,” Trump said in a social media post, claiming the militants had been “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
Nigerian authorities, however, rejected any religious framing of the operation. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, told the BBC that the strikes were the result of long-term security planning and were not connected to religious considerations.
“This was a joint operation, planned for quite some time, based on intelligence provided by Nigeria,” Tuggar said, adding that the action “has nothing to do with a particular religion.”
He also addressed the timing of the strikes, saying they were not linked to the Christmas holiday.
“It did not have anything to do with Christmas,” the minister said, while noting that further operations could not be ruled out.
According to Nigerian security officials, the targets were camps belonging to a lesser-known jihadist group locally referred to as Lakurawa. The group has emerged in recent years in parts of Sokoto State, attempting to establish a foothold in Nigeria’s north-west after years of insurgency concentrated mainly in the north-east.
A local government official in the Tangaza area of Sokoto State, Isa Salihu Bashir, confirmed that militant camps were struck during the operation.
“The airstrikes hit some Lakurawa terrorist camps. Many of the fighters were killed, but the number is not yet clear,” Bashir said.
He added that border patrols on the Niger side reported seeing suspected militants fleeing the area following the strikes.
In a statement issued late on Friday, Nigeria’s Ministry of Information said the operation was carried out with the “explicit approval” of President Bola Tinubu and with the full involvement of Nigeria’s armed forces. The ministry described the action as a precision strike against terrorist targets.
The government also confirmed that debris from munitions landed in two communities, Jabo in Sokoto State and Offa in Kwara State, but said no civilian casualties were recorded.
An eyewitness in Jabo, Umar Jabo, described the incident as sudden and alarming. “Something that looked like a plane flashed and crashed in the fields,” he told the BBC. He added that there had been no known militant activity in the community prior to the incident.
The airstrikes have sparked political debate within Nigeria. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party criticised the Federal Government for not informing Nigerians before the US president publicly announced the operation.
PDP spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, said the government should have taken the lead in communicating the development. “The Federal Government should have been the first to report the news to properly sensitise the Nigerian populace,” he said.
Meanwhile, Islamic cleric Sheikh Abubakar Gumi called on Nigeria to halt military cooperation with the United States, warning that foreign intervention could worsen insecurity.
“Nigeria should halt all military cooperation with the USA immediately because of its imperial tendencies worldwide,” Gumi said in a social media post, urging the government to seek assistance from other countries such as Turkey, China, and Pakistan.
President Tinubu has defended Nigeria’s security partnerships, stating that the country remains committed to tackling terrorism through both domestic efforts and international cooperation.
Speaking during a meeting with leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria, he said the government was taking concrete steps to strengthen security capacity.
“Our orders for four attack helicopters from the United States of America will take some time to arrive,” Tinubu said. “We have approached Turkey for assistance.”
