FG Confirms US Airstrike Debris Landed in Sokoto, Kwara

The Federal Government has confirmed that debris from recent United States–supported airstrikes targeting Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist hideouts fell in parts of Sokoto and Kwara states, with no civilian casualties reported.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the precision strikes were jointly executed by Nigerian and United States forces against two key ISIS enclaves within the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area in Sokoto State.
According to the government, intelligence assessments showed that the targeted locations served as assembly points and operational bases for foreign ISIS fighters entering Nigeria from the Sahel region, working alongside local collaborators to plan large-scale terrorist attacks.
The air operation took place between 12:12 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. on Friday, December 26, 2025, following explicit approval by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It was carried out within established command-and-control frameworks, involving the Armed Forces of Nigeria and under the oversight of the Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff.
The Federal Government disclosed that the strikes were launched from maritime platforms positioned in the Gulf of Guinea after extensive intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, and operational planning. Sixteen GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles, successfully neutralising ISIS elements attempting to infiltrate Nigeria through the Sahel corridor.
However, debris from the expended munitions landed in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and in Offa, Kwara State, near a hotel premises. Authorities confirmed that no civilian casualties were recorded in either location and that security agencies swiftly secured the affected areas to prevent secondary risks.
Reaffirming its commitment to national security, the Federal Government stated that it remains determined to confront, weaken, and eliminate terrorist threats, particularly those posed by transnational extremist networks seeking to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and stability.
The government further assured Nigerians that it retains full control of the country’s security architecture and remains committed to protecting lives and property nationwide, urging citizens to remain calm and vigilant as counter-terrorism operations continue.