Isaac Samuel
On December 25, United States President Donald Trump announced that American forces carried out airstrikes on Islamic State (ISIS) targets in North-West Nigeria, claiming the militants had been persecuting 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,” Trump wrote on December 25 on his Truth Social platform.
The statement immediately sparked widespread reactions within Nigeria, cutting across political, religious and civil society divides.
The Federal Government confirmed that the airstrikes were part of ongoing security and intelligence cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.
In a statement signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the government said the collaboration involved intelligence sharing and strategic coordination, in line with international law and respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty.
It stressed that counter-terrorism efforts are aimed at protecting civilians, safeguarding national unity and defending all Nigerians irrespective of faith or ethnicity.
The Sokoto State Government also expressed support for international defence partnerships to tackle insurgency in the North-West.
The state said it welcomed any collaboration aimed at protecting lives and property, adding that no civilian casualties had been recorded from the strikes.
According to US Africa Command (AFRICOM), multiple terrorists were killed in the operation, which reportedly involved Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from a naval vessel in the Gulf of Guinea.
This is how prominent Nigerians including political parties and socio-cultural groups reacted.
US Counter-Terrorism Record Worrisome, Says Tambuwal
Former Sokoto State Governor and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, cautioned against uncritical acceptance of US military involvement in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.
Speaking on Arise Television, Tambuwal said past US interventions in other regions had produced limited success.
“I will take that with mixed reactions. If we go by the history of such operations carried out by the US in other parts of the world, I am very concerned. We must be very circumspect,” he said..
Tambuwal warned that historical precedents show that such collaborations often fail to deliver lasting security outcomes.
US Airstrikes Could Turn Nigeria into Theatre of War — Gumi
Prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, warned that Nigeria risks becoming a theatre of war by allowing foreign military operations on its soil.
While acknowledging that fighting terrorism is an Islamic obligation, Gumi argued that such actions should be carried out by “clean and holy hands,” not foreign forces.
“This is the mistake Nigeria has made. Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives,” he said.
Gumi cautioned that framing the strikes as protection for Christians could inflame religious tensions and weaken national cohesion.
He questioned the symbolism of carrying out strikes in Sokoto, a predominantly Muslim state, and suggested Nigeria seek assistance from countries like China, Turkey and Pakistan instead.
He said, “The US involvement in Nigeria will attract the real anti-US forces, making our land the theater of war. The USA’s involvement in Nigeria, citing coming to ‘protect Christians’, will ultimately polarize our nation and infringe on our sovereignty.
“Nigeria should halt all military cooperation with the USA immediately because of its imperial tendencies worldwide and seek the help of those neutral countries mentioned. Nigerians are too educated to be played with. This is going to be a 2027 campaign discourse.
“Meanwhile, dropping a few bombs here and there cannot tackle the menace of terror; they need serious military on the ground, which, if we are serious, we have enough men to do that. We call on all villages affected to upload videos and pictures of any casualties involved.”
US-Nigeria military operations should be extended to N/East, says Ndume
Former Senate Leader and Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, urged the federal government to expand ongoing joint military operations with the United States to Nigeria’s North-East, citing the persistent threat posed by terrorist groups in the region.
Ndume, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, said extending such joint operations to the North-East would significantly weaken the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram.
“We welcome this cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in targeting terrorist hideouts,” Ndume said.
“I am calling on both governments to extend it to the North-East, where ISWAP and Boko Haram maintain three major strongholds—Lake Chad, the Mandara Mountains and the Sambisa Forest,” he added.
Joint Operation Justifiable If Nigeria Approved It — Shehu Sani
Former senator Shehu Sani described the airstrikes as justifiable, provided they were conducted with the consent and collaboration of Nigerian authorities.
Reacting via his verified X handle, Sani said terrorist groups in the North-West had become deeply entrenched and posed a danger to all Nigerians, regardless of religion.
“If actually the military strikes were a joint operation with Nigerian authorities, then it’s a conscionable action,” he said.
However, Sani stressed that Nigeria must ultimately take responsibility for its own security, noting that foreign assistance cannot permanently resolve the country’s security challenges.
Airstrike Shows Nigeria Has Lost Sovereignty — Sowore
Publisher of Sahara Reporters and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, strongly criticised the airstrikes, describing them as a violation of Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Sowore said reports confirmed the strikes were carried out on Nigerian soil on Christmas Day following announcements by Trump and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“Judging by the nature of the confirmed strike on a village in Sokoto, it is clear that the US President neither understands nor genuinely cares about Nigeria or Nigerians,” he said.
He accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect its territory, reducing the country to a passive observer in foreign-led military operations.
Foreign Military Help Does Not Undermine Sovereignty — Reno Omokri
Former presidential aide and ambassador-designate, Reno Omokri, disagreed sharply with Sowore’s position, arguing that foreign military assistance does not equate to loss of sovereignty.
Omokri said many larger and older nations have requested US military assistance in fighting terrorism without compromising their independence.
He defended Nigeria’s military record, citing its role in peacekeeping missions across Africa and beyond, and argued that modern terrorism requires international cooperation, especially when terrorists operate within civilian populations.
“No single nation has ever defeated terror alone. It takes international effort,” Omokri said.
True Sovereignty Means Protecting Citizens — Afenifere.
Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, threw its weight behind the joint US-Nigeria airstrikes, describing them as necessary and timely.
In a statement by its National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, the group said sovereignty is measured by the ability to protect citizens, not rhetoric.
“At this critical juncture, the involvement of the United States deserves recognition, not condemnation,” the group stated.
Afenifere urged Nigerians to support the government’s efforts to restore security and praised the professionalism of both Nigerian and US forces.
PDP Slams FG Over Poor Communication
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) criticised the Federal Government’s handling of information about the strikes, saying Nigerians first heard of the operation from US officials.
PDP spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, described the delayed response from Nigerian authorities as a communication failure.
“Foreign powers broke the news of security operations in our country before our government did,” the party said, warning that such an approach undermines public confidence.
Airstrike an indication on how low Nigeria has become – Amadi
The Director of Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Sam Amadi, said US military airstrike in Sokoto is an indication of how low Nigeria has become in 2025.
Trump explained that the mission was aimed at stopping the killing of Christians in Northern Nigeria and preventing what he called widespread violence against them.
Posting on X, he wrote: “Let us not forget what this means: for the first time in history a foreign country will bomb Nigeria to help our government to fight terrorists in our land.
“In 2014, we never got this low. In 2025, we are this low. Nigeria, how much low do you want to go. It is time.”
The operation achieved nothing – Dokubo
Former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, rubbished reports claiming that the US military strike in Sokoto State successfully neutralised terrorists, insisting the operation achieved nothing.
Dokubo’s reaction followed the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that American forces had carried out airstrikes targeting ISIS elements in parts of Sokoto State, Nigeria.
Speaking on the development, Dokubo argued that the strike did not hit any armed group, alleging instead that explosives were dropped in an open area, thereby putting civilians at risk rather than eliminating criminals.
He further claimed that what was deployed to Sokoto were surveillance drones, not decisive air power capable of taking out terrorists, describing the entire operation as misleading.
Dokubo openly challenged the authorities and supporters of the strike to provide concrete proof that any bandits or terrorists were killed during the exercise.
“The U.S. army strike in Sokoto did not harm any bandits,” he said. “They only dropped bombs in an open field, endangering the lives of innocent people. What they actually sent to Sokoto State were drones. This is very shameful, and I don’t believe this lie at all. I challenge anyone in Nigeria to show me even one terrorist they killed.”
