*Tinubu: New approaches towards tackling insecurity’ll bring desired results
*Sokoto govt, CAN, Afenifere, security experts back renewed onslaught against terrorists
Chuks Okocha, Deji Elumoye, Olawale Ajimotokan, Linus Aleke in Abuja, Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos, Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto and Fidelis David in Akure
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed yesterday that 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed against Islamic State (ISIS) elements attempting to enter Nigeria from the Sahel corridor. The munitions were launched from MQ-9 Reaper drones operating from maritime platforms in the Gulf of Guinea.
Also yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, said the security collaboration between Nigeria and the United States that led to airstrikes against ISIS terrorists in Jabo in Tambuwal local government area and Warrayya and Alkasim in Tangeza local government area, both in Sokoto State, in the wee hours of yesterday, was done in line with international law and with full respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty.
These emerged the same day President Bola Tinubu assured Nigerians that the ongoing recalibration of the country’s security architecture would soon begin to yield results that would gladden their hearts.
The Armed Forces of Nigeria yesterday stressed that the operation was executed with the approval of the appropriate federal government authorities, stating that it formed part of ongoing coordinated efforts to rid the country of terrorists and other criminal elements threatening national security.
The Sokoto State Government, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere and security experts yesterday threw their weight behind the joint airstrikes.
THISDAY gathered that the airstrikes did not cause any damage to residential buildings, even as authorities continue to monitor the areas to ensure the safety of residents. It was also gathered that the debris of the jettisoned parts of Tomahawk Missile were found in Offa.
In Sokoto, the police and military called for vigilance and compliance with safety guidelines to prevent injuries from bomb fragments or secondary explosions.
But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in its reaction to the development, urged the federal government to ensure effective communication, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) described the airstrikes as the highlight of President Bola Tinubu’s incompetence
Idris: 16 GPS-guided Precision Munitions Deployed against ISIS Targets in Sokoto
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement, disclosed that the operation, which was in close coordination with the Government of the United States of America led to the successful neutralisation of many terror elements on Friday, 26 December, 2025, at Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State.
The operation, according to him, was explicitly approved by Tinubu and carried out under established command and control structures, with the full involvement of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and under the supervision of the Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff.
He said intelligence confirmed that Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area was being used as assembly and staging grounds by foreign ISIS elements infiltrating the country in collaboration with local affiliates, to plan and execute large-scale terrorist attacks within the Nigerian territory.
The federal government stated that the precision strike operations were executed between 00:12 hours and 01:30 hours on December 26.
Idris explained that:” During the course of the operation, debris from expended munitions fell in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and in Offa, Kwara State, near the premises of a hotel. No civilian casualties were recorded in either location, and relevant authorities promptly secured the affected areas.
“The federal government of Nigeria reiterates its unwavering resolve to confront, degrade, and eliminate terrorist threats, particularly those posed by transnational extremist networks seeking to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and security. Nigeria remains fully aligned with its strategic partners and Friends of Nigeria in executing coordinated actions aimed at ensuring lasting peace, border security, and regional stability”.
The federal government also assured all Nigerians that it remains firmly in control of the national security architecture and is fully committed to the protection of lives and property.
The minister urged citizens to remain calm and vigilant as decisive actions continue against all terrorist groups threatening the nation.
Also, the Armed Forces of Nigeria, in a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba stated: “The strike followed credible intelligence and careful operational planning aimed at degrading the capability of the targeted elements while minimising collateral damage.
“The operation underscores the resolve of the Federal Government of Nigeria, working with strategic partners, to confront transnational terrorism and prevent foreign fighters from establishing or expanding footholds within Nigeria’s borders.”
Tuggar: Airstrikes Complied with International Laws, Respect for Nigeria’s Sovereignty
Speaking yesterday on ARISE News Channel, Tuggar said the security collaboration between Nigeria and the United States followed due process and was based on intelligence sharing and strategic coordination, aimed solely at combating terrorism and insecurity.
According to him, “the operation has once again demonstrated Nigeria’s resolve to confront terrorism head-on and its readiness to work with international partners where necessary.
“What this shows is what we’ve been saying all along, that Nigeria is dead serious about the fight against terrorism and insecurity, not just in Nigeria but in the region. And for those who doubted Nigeria’s resolve, this clearly shows that we are ready, willing, and able to work with partners with the United States and with other countries, to fight terrorism in our region.”
The minister confirmed that Nigerian authorities were consulted before the operation was carried out, revealing that he had discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ahead of the strike.
“We had a conversation before the operation. There was an understanding of what would happen if approval was granted. If there was any difference in the timing of public communication, it was not intentional.”
Tuggar added that Nigeria and the United States had agreed on a coordinated approach, insisting that Nigeria remained fully in charge of decisions affecting its territory.
Responding to public debate over the operation, the foreign affairs minister said the government was more concerned with outcomes than public commentary.
“Every Nigerian’s life should matter. It’s not only Christians that are being killed, by the way. We’re not going to dwell on forensic poring over what was said.
“What is of utmost priority to us are the results. I keep saying this: the difference between ontology and consequentialism. We are focused on the consequentialist aspect, the results.
“We are in a very dire situation. We need results. We are willing to partner with others to achieve those results, and this is an indication of a new phase of an old conflict.”
While declining to provide details on casualties, Tuggar said the operation achieved its objectives, noting that operational agencies would release further information at the appropriate time.
“Yes. It was a successful operation. We collaborated, and that cooperation is what matters. On casualties, that falls under the operational aspect, and those who handled the operation will speak to that.
“My role is foreign affairs, diplomacy. Those responsible for the operational details will provide that information at the appropriate time,” he added.
Tuggar dismissed claims that the operation was motivated by religious considerations, stressing that the fight against terrorism has nothing to do with faith.
“Every Nigerian’s life matters. It is not only Christians who are affected. This is not a religious war. It is about terrorism, banditry and criminality.”
The minister linked Nigeria’s security challenges to wider instability in the Sahel region, particularly the collapse of Libya and military coups in neighbouring countries such as Niger and Mali.
According to him, “The collapse of Libya led to the proliferation of weapons across the region,” he explained. “Those weapons found their way into the hands of terrorist groups operating in Nigeria.”
He added that the breakdown of regional security arrangements, including the Multinational Joint Task Force, had made it easier for terrorists to operate across borders.
“These are interconnected issues. Terror groups move freely across borders, and that makes the situation more complex,” he said.
Tuggar also rejected suggestions that Nigeria had surrendered control of its security to foreign powers, stressing that cooperation does not amount to dependence.
“There was never any discussion about relying solely on foreign forces. This is about partnership, not surrendering sovereignty.”
He noted that Nigeria has long-standing security agreements with several countries and that such collaborations are standard practice in global counterterrorism efforts.
The minister concluded by reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to working with allies while safeguarding its independence and territorial integrity.
“Terrorism is a global threat. If it is allowed to fester in one region, it will spread. Nigeria will continue to work with its partners to defeat it, but always on our own terms.”
Speaking in a separate video posted on X yesterday, Tuggar disclosed that he held two phone conversations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which included one for 19 minutes before the strike and another five minutes before it was carried out.
“We understand that there was some reconnaissance done before the strikes. Were we also involved in that and how so? It’s Nigeria that provided the intelligence,” Tuggar said.
He explained that Nigeria’s involvement was part of an ongoing strategy of working with international partners committed to combating terrorism, regardless of religion, victims, or ideology.
“Nigeria has remained consistent in its approach, which is, like the statement says, to work with all partners that are committed to the fight against terrorism, irrespective of what religion, who the victims are, whether they are Muslims or Christians,” he said.
Tuggar stressed that the cooperation was focused strictly on stopping terrorism and protecting lives, not religious considerations.
“We have been working closely with the Americans. This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to work with the Americans, work with other countries to combat terrorism, to stop the death of innocent Nigerians,” he said.
Tinubu: New Approaches Towards Tackling Insecurity’ll Bring Desired Results
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President Bola Tinubu yesterday assured Nigerians that the ongoing recalibration of the country’s security architecture would soon begin to yield results that will gladden their hearts.
Speaking while playing host to a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) led by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, at his Ikoyi-Lagos residence, the President said his administration was committed to establishing state and community police to change the country’s security narratives.
He called on CAN to work with his administration to achieve the nation’s collective aspirations, stating that some of the measures taken by his administration needed some time to mature.
According to Tinubu: “The mood of the nation is peaceful, although our ungoverned spaces are so large. The challenge is real, but we will surmount it. We are very religious. We are prayer warriors. We need your focus, vigilance, and cooperation.
“Community and State Police will be a reality once the National Assembly completes the required legislative inputs; Military hardware is difficult to replace. It is expensive and not available off the shelf.
“Our orders for four attack helicopters from the United States of America will take some time to arrive. We have approached Turkey for assistance.”
The President, however, said that the delays were affecting public perception of the administration’s commitment to addressing the security challenges.
He said the government was not relenting in its efforts to return the nation to peace and prosperity, despite the guerrilla tactics of the bandits and insurgents.
Commenting on the recent abduction and release of school children in Niger and Kebbi states, Tinubu called for vigilance on the part of all, adding that, “the rhetoric on how the children were released or what happened to the kidnappers is secondary; the end justifies the means.”
Experts Applaud US Military Onslaught Against Terrorists, Bandits in North-West
Security experts have praised the ongoing United States military operations against terrorists and bandits in Nigeria’s North-West, conducted in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Reacting to the joint operations, security expert Lawrence Alobi said: “A friend in need is a friend indeed. Americans see Nigeria as a friend of their government. They know Nigeria is facing significant, even intercontinental, challenges. If you are a good friend, you ask, ‘How can I assist?’ This is a problem-solving approach. The U.S. military operation is a welcome development.
“At least, it sends a signal to militants that they are not winning the war. It is also an example of international cooperation—bilateral cooperation among nations. America has interests in Nigeria, and they know that if Nigeria is in turmoil, it affects those interests. I believe this is the right direction, and I am happy the Nigerian government is cooperating with the U.S. to bring this issue to an end, so that peace and security can prevail without threat to lives and property.”
Former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, also welcomed the strikes, saying: “It is a welcome development. It follows the threat issued by President Trump, who has done exactly what he promised. Many thought it was an empty threat, but I always believed he would act.
“The challenge then was that Trump was not working in conjunction with the Nigerian government. Nigeria is a sovereign state, so I advised that the federal government liaise with the U.S. to work out collaboration. You recall that the government sent a delegation led by the NSA where modalities were agreed.
“Regarding the long-fought terrorism in Nigeria, I believe it will make a difference. Previously, when an American citizen was kidnapped in Niger and brought to Nigeria, U.S. forces collaborated with Nigeria, neutralised the bandits, and rescued the citizen. What is required now is intelligence and precision. Although casualty levels are not yet confirmed, I believe civilians were not harmed. Reports suggest one of the cell leaders may have been neutralised, though this is unconfirmed.”
Reacting to the development, a retired diplomat, Ambassador Ejike Eze, said the success of the operation would depend largely on the sincerity of those implementing the ongoing joint military operation.
According to him, the effort would succeed only if there was genuine commitment on the part of those executing it, but would fail if driven by ulterior motives or if the Nigerian state continued to drift in its response to the insecurity bedevilling the country.
He noted that one immediate and observable implication of the development was a partial loss of sovereignty.
However, he added, “That is the price we have to pay for our inability, incapacity and lack of capability to effectively deal with the situation ourselves.”
In contrast, the former spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ogbole Amedu Ode, expressed excitement that the Nigerian military carried out the onslaught in cooperation with U.S. forces.
Sokoto State Government Welcomes Intervention
Sokoto State Government yesterday confirmed the airstrikes, saying it welcomed the development.
In a statement issued by the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Sokoto, Abubakar Bawa, the government noted that the impact could not be immediately determined, as they await assessment of the joint operations.
It stated: “Sokoto State welcomes any collaboration between Nigeria, and all relevant global stakeholders aimed at curbing the menace of terrorism and cross-border crimes in the State.
“The ongoing operations are geared towards securing the State and ensuring the protection of lives and property of the citizenry.”
The statement noted that over the past two years, Sokoto State Government has consistently supported security agencies in the fight against banditry and terrorism by providing necessary equipment to enhance safety across the State.
CAN Lauds Renewed Efforts to Strengthen Security
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) lauded President Bola Tinubu for his renewed efforts to strengthen the security network across the country.
CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, who spoke with newsmen yesterday, after meeting with Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at their Ikoyi, Lagos residence, described the absence of attacks as a testimony to renewed efforts to strengthen the country’s security.
His words: “We are seeing the renewed efforts and commitment to strengthen the security architecture and to ensure that Nigerians are going out in peace and coming back in peace.
“Of course there is still a lot to be done but we know that the President has started very well and we hope pray that this will be sustained.and we hope that maybe by next year we will be able to see visible results of what is being done now”.
He declared that this year’s Christmas was the first in many years that Nigerian Christians were not woken up to news of attacks on churches.
According to him: “I can tell you that this Christmas happened to be the first Christmas in many years that we are not woken up with phone call in the midnight to say that a church was attacked and it is a testimony we must share and we hope and pray that this will continue.”
Okoh said while challenges remain, there is hope progress will continue and produce visible results next year.
Afenifere Backs US Airstrikes Against ISIS, Urges National Unity
The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Friday threw its weight behind the recent joint airstrikes conducted by the Nigerian and United States military forces against ISIS terrorist elements operating in North-West Nigeria, describing the operation as timely, necessary and decisive.
In a press statement signed by its National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu, Afenifere said the operation marked a critical turning point after years of persistent insecurity that had left communities traumatised, lives lost, and livelihoods destroyed.
“Afenifere unequivocally supports this decisive action, which comes after years of relentless insecurity that has held communities hostage and undermined the very fabric of the nation,” the group declared.
The organisation insisted that the involvement of the United States in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts should be acknowledged rather than criticised, noting that prolonged attacks, mass abductions and destruction of property had persisted largely due to ineffective responses in the past.
“For far too long, innocent Nigerians have been subjected to relentless attacks, abductions and wanton destruction of property, while insufficient measures were taken to decisively confront these terrorist enclaves,” Afenifere stated.
According to the group, the failure of governance over the years created a dangerous vacuum that allowed terrorist groups to flourish, thereby necessitating strategic collaboration with capable international partners.
“The vacuum created by decades of ineffective governance has, regrettably, invited the intervention of capable partners who understand the urgency of the situation,” the statement stressed.
Afenifere also addressed concerns raised in some quarters over Nigeria’s sovereignty, arguing that sovereignty should be judged by a government’s ability to protect its people rather than political posturing.
“True sovereignty is measured not by rhetoric but by the capacity to protect citizens, enforce the rule of law and secure the nation’s borders,” the group stressed.
ADC, PDP Tackle Tinubu
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) described the airstrikes in Sokoto State as a highlight of what it called President Tinubu’s incompetence.
While welcoming all lawful efforts to protect the lives of Nigerians, the party questioned Nigeria’s actual role in the collaboration, insisting that Nigeria should not be “mere informants” in an operation that it should be leading.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party cautioned against confusing “collaboration” with what it called “myopic surrender,” and expressed concern over the government’s handling of the information surrounding the operation and the persistent framing of the war against terror in religious terms by the U.S., which it said ultimately endangers Nigeria’s national unity.
ADC said it recognised the serious security challenges confronting Nigeria and affirmed that the protection of Nigerian lives and the defeat of terrorism must remain a central national priority, but added, ”We therefore support all lawful and effective measures aimed at saving lives and restoring security.
”Nevertheless, the ADC reiterates its long-standing opposition to the physical operation of foreign military forces on Nigerian soil. We must not allow our desperation today to compromise the sovereignty of our country in whatever form or guise.
”It is in this context that we accept the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) airstrikes on “terrorist locations” in Sokoto State on Thursday, December 25, 2025, only as a desperate measure that must not be allowed to substitute for a Nigeria-led action against its domestic security challenges.
”As an anomaly, the action can only be justified in the context of the historic incompetence of the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in dealing with the nation’s security challenges. This is what happens when a government behaves as though governance is all about revenue collection and all other issues, including national security and diplomacy, could be treated as an afterthought.”
For its part, the PDP in its reaction, urged the federal government to always communicate effectively.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the opposition party stated:
“Nigerians were notified of the American strike on terrorists’ assets through the verified social media pages of President Trump and other American officials before the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a vague statement many hours later, offering a passive confirmation of the knowledge and cooperation of the Nigerian Government in the operation.
”While international cooperation in the fight against high crimes like terrorism is very much appreciated, the PDP is deeply concerned about a communication structure where foreign powers break the news of security operations in our country before our government does.”
According to the spokesman, ”This inverted communication approach does not help the Federal Government or Nigerians in any way, especially when taken against the background that the US military has been reported to have previously entered and operated in Nigeria successfully without the permission and knowledge of the government.
”The federal government should have been the first to report the news in order to properly sensitize the Nigerian populace, instead of waiting to confirm news already in public circulation, unless they were taken unawares like the rest of the citizens.”
