Following surprise U.S. strikes against militants in Nigeria, it remains unclear exactly who or what was targeted, as Washington and Abuja have provided somewhat differing accounts.
The situation is complicated by the fact that the strikes were delayed by American President Donald Trump, apparently to emphasize the symbolism of carrying out the attack on Christmas — along with reports that Washington withdrew from issuing a joint statement with Nigeria.
Both countries agree that the strikes hit Islamic State-linked targets, but neither has specified which of Nigeria’s numerous armed groups were actually affected.
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“Twenty-four hours after the bombing, neither Nigeria nor its so-called ‘international partners’ can provide clear, verifiable information about what was actually struck,” activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore said Saturday.
Nigeria faces multiple jihadist organisations, including several linked to Islamic State, while neighboring countries are also combating IS-linked groups, raising concerns that the conflicts may spill into Nigerian territory.
Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s information minister, said late Friday that the strikes “targeted ISIS elements attempting to penetrate Nigeria from the Sahel corridor.”
In an interview with Sky News, Daniel Bwala, adviser to President Bola Tinubu, identified potential targets as Islamic State, a shadowy group called Lakurawa, or “bandits” — non-ideological armed gangs prevalent in northwestern Nigeria.
However, analysts and the opposition People’s Democratic Party criticized the government for allowing “foreign powers” to “break the news of security operations in our country before our government does.”
On social media the night of the strike, Trump was the first to take credit for the overnight Thursday-to-Friday attacks in northwestern Sokoto state, sparking concerns among Nigerians that their sovereignty had been undermined.
Trump also told U.S. outlet Politico that the strikes had been scheduled earlier, saying, “And I said, ‘nope, let’s give a Christmas present’.”
The following morning, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar emphasized that it was a joint operation, with Tinubu ultimately authorizing it and Nigeria providing intelligence.
He later told Arise News that, while speaking with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the strikes, they had agreed to issue a joint statement, but Washington released its own statement prematurely.
Late Friday, nearly 24 hours after the strikes, Nigeria finally clarified the targets: “two major Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist enclaves” in Sokoto state’s Tangaza district, according to Idris. Other villages were reportedly affected by debris from the strikes.
Images from an AFP photographer in Offa, Kwara state, showed collapsed buildings, roofs caved in, and scattered belongings due to debris.
Explosions in Sokoto state’s Jabo town, seemingly caused by debris, shook the community, with local resident Haruna Kallah telling AFP, “surprised us because this area has never been” a stronghold for armed groups. No civilian casualties were reported.
The exact munitions used remain unclear.
The U.S. military released a video showing a navy ship launching what appeared to be missiles. Idris said “the strikes were launched from maritime platforms domiciled in the Gulf of Guinea” and added that “a total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper” drones.
The decision to target the northwest has puzzled analysts, as Nigeria’s jihadist activity is mainly concentrated in the northeast.
Some researchers have recently linked members of Lakurawa — the primary jihadist group in Sokoto State — to Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), though other analysts dispute this connection.
The strikes follow a diplomatic row between Washington and Abuja after Trump described the violence in Nigeria as “persecution” against Christians — a framing often used by the U.S. religious right. The Nigerian government and independent analysts reject this characterization.
The combination of framing the violence in religious terms, the lack of clarity around targets, and the Christmas timing of the strikes has fueled criticism that the operation emphasized symbolism over substance.
Both Nigeria and the U.S. have indicated that additional strikes are planned.
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