The Nigeria Police Force has broken its silence on the controversial United States military operations within Nigerian territory, stating that while it possesses intelligence on the strikes, it cannot divulge specific details to the public for security reasons.
Police Cite National Security Concerns
In an interview on Channels Television, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, clarified the police's position. He confirmed that the police are deeply involved in intelligence gathering and sharing related to security operations. However, he emphasized that the US airstrikes conducted on December 25, 2025, in Sokoto state fall under a sensitive defence purview.
"We engage a lot in intelligence gathering, not just intelligence sharing. As the Police Force, we know certain things about the strikes, but we don’t want to talk about it. We decline to talk about that particular operation," Hundeyin stated.
He further explained that although there was cooperation between Nigerian security agencies and the United States, the matter is primarily a defence issue best addressed by military authorities, not routine policing.
Operation Was a Joint Effort, Says Government
The police statement aligns with earlier confirmations from the Federal Government. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, had previously confirmed that the operation was jointly planned and received the approval of President Bola Tinubu.
Tuggar stressed that the strikes were part of a broader collaborative effort to combat terrorism and were not motivated by religious considerations. This was in response to claims of sectarian attacks, which the government firmly rejected.
The US Department of Defence stated that the strikes eliminated multiple militants linked to the Islamic State (ISIS). The operation was publicly announced by then-US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform, who described it as a decisive action against terrorism.
Impact and Aftermath of the Sokoto Strikes
Reports from credible sources, including The New Humanitarian, indicate that the military action had a significant impact. It is confirmed that the US airstrikes killed 155 Lakurawa terrorists in Sokoto state. The report also suggested that approximately 200 additional fighters were unaccounted for in the week following the bombardment.
The operation, believed to have been executed with Tomahawk missiles launched from a US destroyer in the Gulf of Guinea, has reportedly caused a ripple effect among terrorist cells. Community leaders have observed suspicious movements, indicating that surviving militants have begun relocating from the affected areas in small groups since the Christmas Day attacks.
Despite the confirmed casualty figures and visible aftermath, security agencies maintain a firm stance on operational secrecy. They argue that disclosing further details could jeopardize ongoing counter-terrorism efforts and compromise future missions aimed at stabilizing the region.
