US strikes against terrorists likely to continue – FG

The Federal Government of Nigeria on Friday indicated that additional strikes against jihadist groups could follow the Christmas Day airstrikes by US forces in the northwestern part of the country.

The West African nation faces multiple interlinked security crises, including a long-running insurgency in the northeast and armed “bandit” groups in the northwest responsible for raids and kidnappings.

The US strikes came after a diplomatic dispute between Abuja and Washington, with US President Donald Trump framing the attacks in Nigeria as targeting Christians amid ongoing armed conflicts. Nigeria’s government and independent analysts have rejected this characterization, though the disagreement has led to increased security cooperation.

“It’s Nigeria that provided the intelligence,” Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar told Channels Television, adding that he was in contact with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the strikes.

Asked if further strikes were expected, Tuggar said: “It is an ongoing thing, and we are working with the US. We are working with other countries as well.”

The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) reported that “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed in an attack in Sokoto State. US defense officials also released video footage showing the nighttime launch of a missile from a battleship flying the US flag.

Which specific armed groups were targeted remains unclear. Nigeria’s jihadist groups are largely concentrated in the northeast, but there have been inroads into the northwest.

While Abuja has publicly welcomed the strikes, some experts note that the government’s cooperation with the US may also reflect diplomatic pressure.

Tuggar confirmed that President Bola Tinubu gave the go-ahead for the strikes, stressing: “It must be made clear that it is a joint operation, and it is not targeting any religion nor simply in the name of one religion or the other.”