The Federal Government, on Friday, clarified that the United States-led airstrikes in Nigeria targeted locations being used as terrorists’ staging posts.
It stressed that the operation was carefully planned and executed to neutralise threats without civilian casualties.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Friday, said government had been “in close coordination with the Government of the United States of America, successfully conducted precision strike operations against two major Islamic State terrorist enclaves located within the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State.”
The statement said intelligence findings showed that the bombed locations were being used to plan attacks on Nigeria.
“Intelligence confirmed that these locations were being used as assembly and staging grounds by foreign ISIS elements infiltrating Nigeria from the Sahel region, in collaboration with local affiliates, to plan and execute large-scale terrorist attacks within Nigerian territory,” it said.
The Minister disclosed that the strikes were carried out after presidential approval and under Nigeria’s security command structure.
The statement added, “The precision strike operations were executed between 00:12 hours and 01:30 hours on Friday, 26 December, 2025, following explicit approval by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency President Bola Tinubu.”
It further explained that the operation involved Nigeria’s military leadership and key ministers.
“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 statement added.
Providing details of how the strikes were executed, the government said, “The strikes were launched from maritime platforms domiciled in the Gulf of Guinea, after extensive intelligence gathering, operational planning, and reconnaissance.”
It noted that “a total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms, successfully neutralising the targeted ISIS elements attempting to penetrate Nigeria from the Sahel corridor.”
Addressing concerns over falling debris, the minister acknowledged that remnants of the operation landed in parts of Sokoto and Kwara states.
“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,” the statement said, while stressing that “no civilian casualties were recorded in either location, and relevant authorities promptly secured the affected areas.”
Reaffirming its resolve, the Nigerian government said it “reiterates its unwavering resolve to confront, degrade, and eliminate terrorist threats, particularly those posed by transnational extremist networks seeking to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and security.”
It added that Nigeria “remains fully aligned with its strategic partners and Friends of Nigeria in executing coordinated actions aimed at ensuring lasting peace, border security, and regional stability.”
The government also sought to reassure citizens, stating, “The Federal Government assures all Nigerians that it remains firmly in control of the national security architecture and is fully committed to the protection of lives and property,” while urging citizens “to remain calm and vigilant as decisive actions continue against all terrorist groups threatening the nation.”
Recall that the US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that US forces conducted deadly strikes against Islamic State terrorists in Northwestern Nigeria, and vowed more attacks if the militants keep killing Christians.
The president stated this on his Truth Social platform, adding that the Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes.
