Nigeria’s security cooperation with the United States has resulted in a dramatic Christmas Day airstrike targeting Islamic State militants in the country’s northwest, with about a dozen Tomahawk missiles reportedly launched into Sokoto State from a U.S. Navy warship in the Gulf of Guinea.
The development was confirmed by a U.S. defence official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The strike followed weeks of signals from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had earlier indicated the possibility of direct American military intervention in Nigeria if Islamist militants were not decisively confronted.
On Thursday, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that U.S. forces had conducted the airstrike at the request of the Nigerian government, claiming Islamic State militants in the region had been “targeting Christians.”
Reports from local media indicated loud explosions in Jabo village on Christmas evening, though Reuters said it could not independently confirm casualties linked to the attack.
Trump told Politico that the strike was initially scheduled for Wednesday but he ordered a postponement:
“They were going to do it earlier, and I said, ‘nope, let’s give a Christmas present’… They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated,” he claimed.
A U.S. defence official said the attack involved approximately a dozen Tomahawk missiles, explaining that the targeted area was too remote for Nigerian forces to reach. The official added that the operation was also symbolic, aimed at deterrence and demonstrating U.S. readiness to use military force.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that Abuja authorised and cooperated in the operation but dismissed any claims of religious targeting:
“Nigeria is a multi-religious country, and we’re working with partners like the U.S. to fight terrorism and protect lives and property,” he said during an interview on Channels Television.
While U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested on X that “more is to come,” another U.S. official told Reuters that a follow-up strike was not imminent, though future operations were not ruled out.
Security analysts remain divided on the long-term impact of the strike. Some say the operation delivers a powerful signal, while others warn that airstrikes alone may not significantly degrade entrenched militant networks that have terrorised rural communities across northern Nigeria for years.
Investigations into the extent of damage and possible casualties are still ongoing, as international attention continues to focus on the unprecedented joint operation.