Tinubu Approves Night Airstrikes as FG, US Neutralise Foreign ISIS Fighters in Sokoto Forest
The Federal Government has confirmed that Nigerian security forces, working with the United States, have carried out coordinated precision airstrikes on suspected Islamic State (ISIS) hideouts in Sokoto State, dealing a major blow to foreign terrorist elements attempting to infiltrate the country through the Sahel.
The operation targeted two terrorist enclaves in the Bauni forest area of Tangaza Local Government Area, where intelligence reports indicated that foreign ISIS fighters had established assembly and planning camps in collaboration with local affiliates. Security sources said the group was preparing to launch large-scale attacks within Nigeria.
The strikes were conducted in the early hours of Friday, December 26, 2025, between 12:12am and 1:30am, after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu granted approval for the mission as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen national security and protect Nigeria’s borders.
According to the Federal Government, the operation followed weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, and was executed under Nigeria’s established military command and control structures, with the full involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the strikes demonstrated the administration’s determination to confront transnational terrorism head-on.
“These locations were confirmed to be staging grounds for foreign ISIS elements infiltrating Nigeria from the Sahel to plan deadly attacks,” Idris stated. “Acting on credible intelligence, the President approved decisive action to neutralise this threat before it could materialise.”
The airstrikes were launched from maritime platforms within the Gulf of Guinea, using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial systems to deploy 16 GPS-guided precision munitions, which successfully hit the identified targets.
The government, however, acknowledged that debris from expended munitions fell in Jabo area of Tambuwal Local Government in Sokoto State and near a hotel premises in Offa, Kwara State. Idris assured Nigerians that no civilian casualties were recorded and that security agencies immediately secured the affected locations.
“There was no loss of civilian life, and relevant authorities moved swiftly to cordon off the areas and ensure public safety,” he said.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to regional security, the Federal Government stressed that the action was part of broader collaboration with strategic partners aimed at curbing the activities of terrorist networks operating across borders.
“Nigeria remains resolute in confronting and eliminating terrorist threats, especially those posed by transnational extremist groups seeking to undermine our sovereignty,” Idris added. “We are fully aligned with our partners in taking coordinated actions to ensure lasting peace, border security and stability in the region.”
The government urged Nigerians to remain calm and vigilant, assuring citizens that the national security architecture remains firmly under control as security forces continue sustained operations against all terrorist groups threatening lives and property across the country.
