Fresh controversy has emerged over the United States airstrikes carried out in parts of Sokoto State on Christmas Day, as a former Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Ladan Salihu, has questioned the accuracy and purpose of the operation. Salihu claimed that the missiles missed their intended targets and landed in an empty field, causing no casualties and no damage to buildings.
The United States had earlier announced that it carried out airstrikes on December 25 against fighters linked to the Islamic State group in north-west Nigeria. The operation was said to have targeted terrorist elements operating in remote parts of Sokoto State, an area that has witnessed security challenges in recent years.
Following the strike, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) stated on social media platform X that the operation was conducted in collaboration with the Nigerian government. According to AFRICOM, the airstrikes demonstrated the strength of the US military and its commitment to stopping terrorist threats, both within the United States and in other parts of the world.
However, Salihu has presented a different version of events. In a post shared on X, the former FRCN boss said the strike carried out in Jabo village, near Tambuwal in Sokoto State, failed to hit any terrorist targets.
Salihu said his information came directly from a member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Bashar Isah Jabo, also known as Sarkin Yaki Jabo. According to him, the lawmaker visited Jabo village shortly after the strike and personally assessed the situation on the ground.
“I just spoke with Hon Sarkin Yaki Jabo, Member of the Sokoto State Assembly, who visited Jabo after the strike at about 10:30pm last night,” Salihu wrote. “The US strike in Jabo near Tambuwal wasn’t a precision strike. No casualties. Missiles landed in a plain field 300 metres away from a local hospital.”
According to Salihu, the missiles created a large crater in an open field, but no houses were destroyed and no lives were lost. He added that villagers only found missile fragments scattered around the impact site.
Salihu also claimed that Jabo village had not experienced any terrorist activity or presence of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) throughout 2025. He said there were no records of attacks by insurgents in the area, nor any reports of farmer-herder clashes, which are common causes of violence in some rural communities.
This claim has raised questions about the intelligence that led to the airstrike and whether the location was properly verified before the missiles were fired.
The former FRCN director-general expressed concern over the proximity of the strike to a local hospital, saying it was only by chance that the missiles did not cause a major tragedy. He said the situation could have been disastrous if the hospital or nearby homes had been hit.
He also questioned the real purpose of the airstrike, suggesting that it might have been carried out more for public attention than for actual security reasons.
Salihu said that while international cooperation is important in the fight against terrorism, such operations must be based on accurate intelligence and carried out with care to avoid harm to innocent people.
“I am all for cooperation to defeat terrorism,” he said. “But strikes must focus on known terrorist leaders and strongholds, not peaceful villages.”
He called on Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters to investigate the incident and provide a clear and detailed report to the Nigerian public. According to him, Nigerians deserve to know what happened, why the strike was carried out in that location, and whether proper checks were done.
The reported US airstrikes have generated mixed reactions across the country. Some Nigerians have welcomed foreign assistance in tackling insecurity, especially in areas affected by banditry and insurgency. Others, however, have raised concerns about Nigeria’s sovereignty and the risk of civilian harm.
Sokoto State, located in the north-west region, has faced security challenges linked to banditry, kidnapping, and attacks on rural communities. While most insurgency activities linked to ISWAP have been concentrated in the North-East, security agencies have warned that terrorist groups are trying to expand their reach into other regions.
In recent years, the Nigerian military has relied heavily on air operations to target criminal camps in hard-to-reach areas. These airstrikes are often praised for weakening armed groups, but there have also been reports of mistakes leading to civilian deaths and destruction of property in some cases.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly said it is committed to protecting civilians and improving intelligence gathering to reduce errors during military operations.
The US government, through AFRICOM, has maintained that its operations are carefully planned and based on credible intelligence. It has also said that it works closely with partner nations to ensure that strikes are effective and lawful.
Despite these assurances, Salihu’s comments have added to the growing debate about transparency and accountability in counter-terrorism operations, especially when foreign forces are involved.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian Defence Headquarters nor the Sokoto State government has officially responded to Salihu’s claims. There has also been no confirmation from AFRICOM regarding the specific details of the strike in Jabo village.
Residents of Jabo village, according to Salihu, are grateful that no lives were lost, but many are said to be confused and worried about why their community was targeted in the first place.