Tension and confusion have followed Thursday airstrikes in some parts of Sokoto State, Northwest Nigeria, after the United States confirmed hitting target locations linked to islamist terrorists . While the Nigerian government described the attack as a joint operation conducted with American forces, US President Donald Trump said Washington acted independently to eliminate Islamic terrorists threatening Christians in the region.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Friday morning claimed that “the precision strikes were executed following close intelligence cooperation between Abuja and Washington.” The statement described the air raids as part of “ongoing bilateral efforts to defeat terrorism and restore lasting peace in Nigeria’s northwest.”
However, Trump’s announcement on his verified social media accounts made no mention of any Nigerian role. He hailed the strikes as a powerful signal that the United States would defend Christians facing slaughter, suggesting that the action was planned, authorised, and executed by American forces.
The conflicting narratives have raised doubts about the extent of Nigeria’s involvement and whether Abuja was fully consulted before the operation began.
Trump in his announcement said, “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, and even centuries.”
He added that, “Under my leadership, our country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all — including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter continues.”
In sharp contrast, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said Nigerian authorities “remain engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America, in addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism.”
The statement claimed that this cooperation “has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West.”
The ministry emphasised that such cooperation covers “exchange of intelligence, strategic coordination, and other forms of support consistent with international law, mutual respect for sovereignty, and shared commitments to regional and global security.”
It added that all counterterrorism efforts are “guided by the primacy of protecting civilian lives, safeguarding national unity, and upholding the rights and dignity of all citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity.”
Restating that terrorist violence “whether directed at Christians, Muslims or other communities” undermines Nigeria’s values and peace efforts, the government said it continues “to work closely with partners to weaken terrorist networks, disrupt their financing and logistics, and prevent cross-border threats.”
As of press time, neither the United States nor the Nigerian government had released official casualty figures from the Sokoto strike.
