Nigeria on December 26 confirmed that further military operations against jihadist groups could follow after the US carried out an airstrike in the country’s northwest on Christmas Day.
Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar told AFP that the strikes are part of an “ongoing process” involving the US and other international partners. He added that Nigeria provided the intelligence and gave approval for the operation, with President Bola Tinubu authorizing the action.
The strike, conducted under ongoing security cooperation between Nigeria and the US, targeted militant positions in the Sokoto state. A Pentagon video showed a nighttime missile launch from a US-flagged warship. The US Africa Command confirmed that “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed during the operation.
Tuggar emphasized that the operation is not religiously motivated, stating that Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts are independent of the faith of victims, whether Muslim or Christian.
The strikes come amid heightened diplomatic tension, as US officials have characterized violence against Christians in Nigeria as religious persecution. Former US President Donald Trump framed the attack as retaliation for attacks on Christians, describing it as a “powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria.”
The specific militant group targeted remains unclear. While jihadist activity is primarily concentrated in Nigeria’s northeast, analysts say some members of the Lakurawa group in Sokoto may have links to the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) or al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM.
The military action follows fresh violence in other parts of Nigeria, including a suspected suicide bombing at a mosque in the northeast that killed at least five people and injured 35. In a Christmas message, President Tinubu reiterated his commitment to religious freedom and peace across the country, urging protection for all citizens regardless of faith.
