Security operatives in Sokoto State are on high alert after the United States launched airstrikes against terrorist hideouts in Jabo, a rural community in Tambuwal Local Government Area, a senior military source has confirmed to BusinessesDay.
A top military source, speaking exclusively to BusinessDay, confirmed the US-led airstrikes targeting Islamic State (ISIS) positions in northwest Nigeria, linking the strikes to an increase in military activity across the region.
The source noted that at about 10:26 p.m. on December 25, an unknown device, suspected to be an explosive ordnance, fell from the sky and detonated in a bush close to Jabo village, producing a loud bang and a bright flash of light.
Security sources said no lives were lost and no injuries or property damage were recorded.
Military personnel attached to the Jabu Forward Operating Base (FOB) were said to have arrived at the scene before the arrival of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from Sokoto, securing and removing fragments of the device to their base for further examination.
Police authorities, alongside reinforcement units, cordoned off the area while awaiting the arrival of the Officer Commanding (OC) EOD and his team to conduct a detailed assessment. Security officials said further findings would be communicated as investigations continue.
The explosion came as Donald Trump, President of United States announced that the US military had carried out what he described as “powerful and deadly” airstrikes against ISIS militants operating in northwest Nigeria, including parts of Sokoto State.
In a statement posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said the operation was ordered by him in his capacity as commander-in-chief and was aimed at halting what he claimed were sustained attacks on civilians, particularly Christians.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years,” Trump wrote.
He said the strikes followed earlier warnings issued to the group to stop what he termed the “slaughtering of Christians,” adding that the US Department of Defense carried out “numerous perfect strikes” to neutralise the threat.
Confirming the operation, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said the airstrikes were conducted in Sokoto State and carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities. A US official, speaking to Reuters, disclosed that multiple ISIS targets were killed, although no specific casualty figures were released.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also commented on the strikes, saying the president had been clear about ending violence against Christians in Nigeria and elsewhere. Writing on X, he said the US military was prepared to act decisively and thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation and support.
The airstrikes followed remarks made by Trump last month, when he said he had directed the Pentagon to begin planning for possible military action in Nigeria over allegations of religious persecution. Around the same time, his administration designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the US International Religious Freedom Act.
As part of the measures announced, the US government said it would impose visa restrictions on Nigerians and their family members accused of involvement in mass killings or violence against Christians.
The Nigerian government has, however, consistently rejected the characterisation of its security challenges as religious persecution.
Officials have argued that violence in parts of the country is driven by a complex mix of terrorism, banditry, communal clashes and organised criminality, rather than a single religious agenda.
