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The Nigerian government has urged citizens to remain calm and vigilant after coordinated precision strikes targeted Islamic State (ISIS) elements in the country’s northwest, saying “decisive actions continue against all terrorist groups threatening the nation.”
The call followed an announcement by US President Donald Trump, who said American forces had carried out “powerful and deadly” strikes against Islamic State militants in northwestern Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed the operation, saying the country remained engaged in “structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America,” to counter terrorism and violent extremism.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Friday, said the strikes were approved by President Bola Tinubu and conducted jointly with the United States.
The strikes targeted two major ISIS enclaves in the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Idris said, describing the locations as “assembly and staging grounds by foreign ISIS elements infiltrating Nigeria from the Sahel region, in collaboration with local affiliates.”
Idris disclosed that the operation was executed between 12:12 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. on Friday, December 26, using 16 GPS-guided precision munitions deployed from MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms and that the strikes “successfully neutralised the targeted ISIS elements attempting to penetrate Nigeria from the Sahel corridor.”
“During the course of the operation, debris from expended munitions fell in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and in Offa, Kwara State, near the premises of a hotel,” he added.
“No civilian casualties were recorded in either location, and relevant authorities promptly secured the affected areas.
“The operation was carried out under established command and control structures, with the full involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and under the supervision of the Honourable Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff.”
The minister stated that after extensive intelligence gathering, operational planning, and reconnaissance, the strikes were launched from maritime platforms domiciled in the Gulf of Guinea.
Reaffirming its security posture, Idris stated that Nigeria remains “firmly in control of the national security architecture and is fully committed to the protection of lives and property.”
He also added that Nigeria is aligned with its international partners in confronting transnational extremist networks seeking to undermine the country’s sovereignty and regional stability.
“Citizens are urged to remain calm and vigilant as decisive actions continue against all terrorist groups threatening the nation.”
