The Federal Government has clarified details surrounding the recent joint airstrikes carried out by Nigeria and the United States against terrorist targets, stating that the actual strikes hit Islamic State (ISIS) enclaves in Sokoto State, while debris from the operation later landed in parts of Kwara and Sokoto states.
The clarification followed public concerns and criticism over the operation, with some commentators alleging that civilian areas were targeted and questioning Nigeria’s role in the collaboration.
In particular, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) had demanded explanations on operational control, casualty figures and the identities of terrorists neutralised during the mission, warning against what it described as a “myopic surrender” of Nigeria’s sovereignty.
However, addressing the issues in a statement on Friday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the airstrikes were precision operations against two major ISIS terrorist enclaves located within the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State.
According to the minister, intelligence reports confirmed that the locations served as assembly and staging grounds for foreign ISIS fighters infiltrating Nigeria from the Sahel region in collaboration with local affiliates.
He explained that the operation took place between 12:12 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. on Friday, December 26, 2025, and was carried out with the explicit approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The operation was conducted under established command-and-control structures, with the full involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and under the supervision of the Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff,” Idris said.
He added that the strikes were launched from maritime platforms in the Gulf of Guinea after extensive intelligence gathering and reconnaissance, using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles to deploy 16 GPS-guided precision munitions, which successfully neutralised the targeted ISIS elements.
The minister further disclosed that debris from expended munitions fell in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and in Offa, Kwara State, near a hotel premises. He stressed that no civilian casualties were recorded, and that authorities swiftly secured the affected locations.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to national security, Idris said the government remains determined to eliminate terrorist threats, especially those posed by transnational extremist networks.
“The Federal Government assures Nigerians that it remains firmly in control of the national security architecture and is fully committed to the protection of lives and property,” he said, urging citizens to remain calm and vigilant.
