FG Clarifies US–Nigeria Joint Strikes, Says Debris Landed in Offa and Jabo

The Federal Government has clarified details surrounding the recent joint counterterrorism operation between Nigeria and the United States, stating that the airstrikes targeted confirmed terrorist enclaves and not civilian locations, contrary to public speculation.

Addressing growing concerns over the operation, the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said the strikes were precision attacks carried out against two major Islamic State (ISIS) enclaves located within the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area in Sokoto State.

The clarification follows criticism from opposition groups and civil society actors who questioned the effectiveness of the operation and Nigeria’s level of control in the collaboration. The African Democratic Congress had earlier demanded transparency on operational command, casualty figures, and the identities of terrorists neutralised, warning against what it described as a surrender of sovereignty under the guise of cooperation.

In a statement issued on Friday, the government said intelligence reports confirmed that the targeted locations served as assembly and staging grounds for foreign ISIS fighters infiltrating Nigeria from the Sahel region, working alongside local affiliates to plan large-scale attacks.

According to the minister, the operation was conducted between 12:12am and 1:30am on Friday, December 26, following direct approval from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He said the mission was executed under Nigeria’s established command and control framework, with the full involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and oversight from the Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff.

The strikes were reportedly launched from maritime platforms in the Gulf of Guinea after extensive intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, and operational planning. A total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial systems, which the government said successfully neutralised the targeted terrorist elements.

The minister confirmed that debris from the operation 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 security agencies swiftly secured the affected areas.

Reaffirming the government’s position, Idris said Nigeria remains resolute in confronting and dismantling terrorist networks, particularly transnational extremist groups seeking to destabilise the country and the wider region.

He assured Nigerians that the government remains fully in control of the nation’s security architecture and urged citizens to remain calm and vigilant as coordinated counterterrorism operations continue.