By SUNTV Global Channel | December 26, 2025
The Federal Government has officially confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved United States-backed airstrikes on suspected Islamic State (ISIS) hideouts in Sokoto State, marking a rare public admission of ISIS presence in North-West Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the operation was a joint, intelligence-driven counter-terrorism mission coordinated between Nigeria and the United States.
According to Idris, the precision airstrikes targeted two major ISIS camps located within the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State. Intelligence reports revealed that the camps served as assembly and staging grounds for foreign ISIS fighters infiltrating Nigeria from the Sahel region and working with local collaborators to plan large-scale terrorist attacks.
The strikes were carried out between 12:12am and 1:30am on Friday, December 26, 2025, following what the government described as the “explicit approval” of President Tinubu.
“Intelligence confirmed that these locations were being used by foreign ISIS elements infiltrating Nigeria from the Sahel region, in collaboration with local affiliates, to plan and execute large-scale terrorist attacks within Nigerian territory,” the statement said.
Idris explained that the operation was conducted under Nigeria’s established command and control framework, with full involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and oversight by the Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs, alongside the Chief of Defence Staff.
The airstrikes were reportedly launched from maritime platforms stationed in the Gulf of Guinea after extensive intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance. A total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms, which the government said successfully neutralised the targeted ISIS elements attempting to breach Nigeria through the Sahel corridor.
The minister acknowledged that debris from the expended munitions fell in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and in Offa, Kwara State, near a hotel premises. However, he stressed that no civilian casualties were recorded and that security agencies swiftly secured the affected areas.
Reaffirming the government’s stance on national security, Idris said Nigeria remains resolute in confronting and dismantling terrorist networks, particularly transnational extremist groups threatening the country’s sovereignty.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria reiterates its unwavering resolve to confront, degrade, and eliminate terrorist threats. Nigeria remains fully aligned with its strategic partners and Friends of Nigeria in ensuring lasting peace, border security, and regional stability,” he stated.
The government also urged Nigerians to remain calm and vigilant, assuring citizens that decisive actions are ongoing to protect lives and property across the country.
— SUNTV Global Channel, If You See Something, Say Something (77)
