A Nigerian hotel owner has alleged that three of his employees were injured after debris from munitions, believed to be from United States airstrikes, struck his hotel in Offa, Kwara State, on Christmas Day.
The airstrikes reportedly targeted militants linked to the Islamic State group in northwest Nigeria, particularly in Sokoto State. While the Federal Government confirmed that debris from the operation fell in some locations, including areas near a hotel in Offa, it maintained that no civilian casualties were recorded.
However, the owner of Solid Worth Hotel, Taofeek Bello, told AFP that the incident left three of his staff hospitalised after what appeared to be a missile fragment landed inside the hotel premises.
“On Christmas Day, around past 10 pm, something like a bomb missile allegedly fired by the US military missed its target and landed inside my hotel,” Bello said. “It caused damage to the building and injured three of my workers.”
According to Bello, one of the injured workers suffered a traumatic injury and was taken to a psychiatric hospital, while another sustained a serious head injury. The third worker reportedly suffered injuries to the legs and lap. All three are still receiving medical treatment.
Bello explained that the debris first struck an unoccupied room in the 22-room, two-star hotel before landing outside the building. At the time of the incident, only two rooms were occupied, and no guests were hurt.
Photographs shared with AFP showed what appeared to be a missile head, which Bello said was later examined and collected by security operatives.
Reacting to the claims, a spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala, insisted that there were no civilian casualties from the operation, stating that “the only casualties recorded were terrorists.”
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Kwara State Police Command also confirmed that investigations were ongoing, noting that details of the incident were still being gathered.
Nigeria is currently battling several jihadist groups, including factions affiliated with the Islamic State. Authorities say the US strikes were aimed at preventing the spread of IS-linked militants into Nigeria from the Sahel region.
Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said the operation targeted Islamic State elements attempting to infiltrate Nigeria, adding that although debris from expended munitions fell in parts of Sokoto and Kwara states, no civilian deaths were recorded.
The Federal Government and security agencies are expected to provide further updates as investigations continue into the incident.
