TINUBU GREENLIGHTS U.S. AIRSTRIKES ON ISIS CELLS IN SOKOTO — FG CONFIRMS DEADLY NIGHT RAID

The Federal Government has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu personally approved United States–led precision airstrikes that decimated two major ISIS-linked terrorist enclaves hidden within the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State, in a coordinated counterterrorism operation carried out in the early hours of Friday.
In a statement issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the government disclosed that actionable intelligence revealed the locations were serving as assembly, logistics, and staging grounds for foreign Islamic State fighters infiltrating Nigeria from the Sahel, working in concert with local terror collaborators to plan high-impact attacks across the country.
According to the minister, the precision strike operation, executed between 12:12 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. on Friday, December 26, 2025, followed explicit presidential authorisation and was conducted under Nigeria’s established command-and-control framework.
“The operation was carried out with the full involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, under the supervision of the Honourable Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs, and the Chief of Defence Staff,” Idris said.
He revealed that the strikes were launched from maritime platforms stationed in the Gulf of Guinea, after weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, and meticulous operational planning.
In a devastating blow to the terror network, 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed via MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms, successfully neutralising ISIS elements attempting to penetrate Nigeria through the Sahel corridor.
During the operation, fragments from expended munitions reportedly landed in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and in Offa, Kwara State, near a hotel premises. The Federal Government stressed that no civilian casualties were recorded, adding that security agencies swiftly secured the affected areas.
Reaffirming the administration’s resolve, Idris said the Tinubu-led government remains unwavering in its mission to confront, degrade, and eliminate terrorist threats, especially those posed by transnational extremist networks seeking to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“Nigeria remains fully aligned with its strategic partners and friends in executing coordinated actions aimed at ensuring lasting peace, border security, and regional stability,” he stated.
The Federal Government assured Nigerians that it remains fully in control of the national security architecture and is firmly committed to the protection of lives and property nationwide.
Citizens were urged to remain calm, vigilant, and supportive, as decisive actions continue against all terrorist groups threatening the peace and unity of the nation.