Residents of parts of Sokoto and Kwara States on Friday relived moments of fear and confusion after missile strikes believed to be fired by the United States hit several locations, triggering panic and widespread anxiety in the affected communities.
Checks from military sources and local residents, however, indicated that no casualties were recorded from the strikes, despite the scale of the explosions.
A loud explosion was reported on Thursday night in Jabo town, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State. Hours later, two separate explosions were recorded in Offa, Kwara State. There were also reports of another blast in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Trump announces strikes
US President Donald Trump confirmed the strikes in a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday night, saying American forces carried out deadly attacks against Islamic State terrorists in North-West Nigeria.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northwest Nigeria,” Trump wrote, accusing the group of targeting and killing Christians.
While Trump did not name the exact locations, the US Africa Command later confirmed that the strikes took place in Sokoto State. The attacks followed earlier threats by Trump to intervene militarily in Nigeria over insecurity and violence against Christian communities.
No confirmed casualties
Military sources said the missile attacks did not result in any confirmed deaths. A senior military official disclosed that no terrorists were killed or arrested during the operation, adding that the strikes were believed to have been launched from a naval vessel.
Another security source familiar with the operation said several strikes were carried out, but most of the intended targets were missed, leaving the actual level of damage unclear. The source added that further strikes could still follow.
Security analysts described the operation as largely symbolic, suggesting it marked the beginning of official US military involvement in Nigeria. Some analysts noted that future strikes could involve unmanned aerial vehicles, particularly MQ-9 Reaper drones.
Analysts also questioned the choice of locations, noting that areas such as Jabo in Sokoto and Offa in Kwara are not widely known as terrorist strongholds. A traditional ruler in Jabo confirmed that no lives were lost and no arrests were made following the explosion.
Conflicting claims on deaths
Despite local accounts of no casualties, international reports quoted US Africa Command as saying that multiple terrorists were killed. According to these reports, more than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from a US Navy ship in the Gulf of Guinea, targeting suspected ISIS camps in Sokoto State.
Local officials in Tangaza LGA said the strikes hit suspected hideouts of the Lakurawa group, a foreign-linked armed group believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State Sahel Province. The operation reportedly affected Warriya and Alkasim villages and took place between 10pm and shortly after midnight.
The Lakurawa group has been blamed for several deadly attacks in border communities across Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger Republic and parts of Mali, prompting intensified counter-terrorism efforts in the region.
FG confirms Tinubu’s approval
The Federal Government confirmed that the strikes were carried out as part of ongoing security and intelligence cooperation between Nigeria and the United States. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the collaboration involved intelligence sharing and strategic coordination, carried out in line with international law and respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Speaking in an international media interview, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said President Bola Tinubu personally approved the operation, insisting that it did not violate Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
“Terrorists are being targeted. This operation puts to rest any doubt about the administration’s resolve to fight terrorism,” Tuggar said, adding that the action was about protecting innocent Nigerians and not motivated by religion.
He disclosed that the decision followed consultations with US officials and direct approval from President Tinubu.
Sokoto residents recall ‘terrifying’ night
Residents of Jabo town described the explosion as loud, sudden and terrifying. The district head of the town, Alhaji Aliyu Garba Jabo, said he was with his family in his palace when the blast occurred.
“At first, we thought it was a plane crash. People were frightened because we had never experienced anything like this,” he said.
Fragments believed to be from the explosion were later found behind a hospital and in nearby farmlands. Security personnel cordoned off the area, while bomb disposal experts were deployed for investigation.
Another resident, Lukman Maikagara, said flames from the blast lasted for over an hour, causing panic across the community. Although no houses were destroyed, some farmlands were affected.
“My farm was affected, but we thank God that no life was lost,” a local farmer said.
Kwara residents count losses
In Offa, residents said the first explosion occurred near the Eid praying ground, damaging several residential buildings. The second blast was reported close to Solid Worth Hotel.
Although no deaths were officially confirmed, several residents sustained injuries and property worth millions of naira was destroyed, leaving many families traumatised.
One resident, Soliu, said his room collapsed during the explosion, leaving him injured. “A block fell on my chest. I lost almost everything I own,” he said, adding that he had no money for medical treatment.
Business owners were also affected. A furniture maker, Alaba Awodele, said his workshop and machines were destroyed, while a fashion designer, Mary Oyagbile, said the blast wiped out her entire shop.
Another survivor, Quadri Saka, said he narrowly escaped death after stepping out to buy a recharge card moments before the explosion. His mother, Moromoke Saka, described how the wall collapsed close to where she was sleeping.
“We give thanks to God for saving our lives,” she said.
Operations at Solid Worth Hotel were suspended following the incident. Hotel officials said a staff member was injured but later discharged from hospital.
Security sources claimed that what hit buildings in Offa may have been a component of a missile rather than a conventional bomb, possibly linked to the US-Nigeria joint operation in Sokoto. However, this claim has not been officially confirmed.
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The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the incident but said investigations were ongoing. Neither the Nigerian military nor the US government has officially linked the Offa explosions to the Sokoto airstrikes.
Political, religious reactions
The African Democratic Congress criticised the strikes, describing them as evidence of the Federal Government’s failure to address insecurity and warning against the long-term implications of foreign military operations on Nigerian soil.
Former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, urged residents to remain calm amid rising tension.
Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi also criticised the strikes, arguing that foreign military involvement could deepen divisions and undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty. He called on the Federal Government to consider security partnerships with neutral countries instead of the United States.
