Nigeria and the United States have jointly confirmed precision airstrikes against suspected Islamic State (ISIS) enclaves in Sokoto State, Nigeria. These coordinated operations, explicitly approved by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, targeted foreign ISIS fighters believed to be infiltrating Nigeria from the Sahel region with intentions to plan and execute large-scale terrorist attacks within the country.

According to a statement released by Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the airstrikes were executed between 12:12 am and 1:30 am on Friday, December 26, 2025. The operations focused on two major ISIS locations within the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State. Intelligence reports indicated these camps served as assembly and staging grounds for foreign ISIS elements collaborating with local affiliates. 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.

Operational details revealed that the strikes were launched from maritime platforms domiciled in the Gulf of Guinea. A total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms, successfully neutralizing the targeted ISIS elements. Although debris from expended munitions fell in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and near a hotel in Offa, Kwara State, both the Nigerian government and the Sokoto State government confirmed that no civilian casualties were recorded in either location. The Sokoto State government, through its Director-General of Media and Publicity, Abubakar Bawa, stated that investigations are ongoing following the joint operation, welcoming any collaboration aimed at curbing terrorism and cross-border crimes.

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, defended the foreign military intervention, emphasizing that national survival must take precedence over concerns about sovereignty or privacy during moments of grave danger, likening it to allowing someone with fire extinguishers into a burning house. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, while confirming Nigeria's joint action with the U.S., rejected claims that the strike targeted any specific religious group, reiterating Nigeria’s multi-religious nature and commitment to fighting terrorism with partners.

From the U.S. perspective, Congressman Riley Moore linked the absence of mass Christmas attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria this year to the American military action. U.S. President Donald Trump announced the successful strikes against Islamic State terrorists in northwestern Nigeria, stating that U.S. forces had carried out “numerous perfect strikes” and warned of further attacks if militants continued to target Christians. A U.S. defense official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the involvement of “about a dozen Tomahawk missiles” launched from a U.S. Navy warship in the Gulf of Guinea, noting that the location was “too remote for Nigerian forces to reach” and that the strike was partly symbolic, serving as deterrence.

Despite the government's justification and confirmed success, the strikes sparked mixed reactions. The Take-It-Back Movement (TIB) vehemently condemned the U.S. military action, asserting it posed a serious threat to national sovereignty and reflected the Nigerian government’s failure to secure the country. TIB rejected foreign bombing, citing “devastating outcomes” from past U.S.-led interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The movement held President Bola Tinubu’s administration fully accountable for its inability to defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity, referencing the 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests and linking public support for the strikes to a loss of confidence in the federal government. TIB concluded by calling for President Tinubu to step down.

The Federal Government of Nigeria reiterated its unwavering resolve to confront, degrade, and eliminate terrorist threats, particularly those from transnational extremist networks. It reaffirmed Nigeria’s alignment with strategic partners in executing coordinated actions to ensure lasting peace, border security, and regional stability, assuring Nigerians of its firm control over the national security architecture.