Keypoints:
- Sokoto villagers insist ISIS fighters were not in their community
- US Africa Command says multiple ISIS members were neutralised
- Nigerian government confirms joint precision strike with no civilian casualties
RESIDENTS of a farming community in northwestern Nigeria have pushed back against US claims that ISIS fighters were operating in their area after debris from a recent air strike landed close to their homes, CNN has reported.
The strike was announced late on Thursday by US President Donald Trump, who described it as a ‘powerful and deadly’ operation targeting ISIS militants in the region. US Africa Command later said the mission had successfully neutralised multiple ISIS members.
But accounts from the ground in Jabo, a village in Sokoto state’s Tambuwal district, tell a story of fear, confusion and unanswered questions. Villagers told CNN they were startled around 10 p.m. by a loud explosion and flashes of fire in the sky, moments before debris crashed into nearby farmland.
The impact forced families to flee their homes in panic, fearing further explosions as the night wore on.
‘We have never seen anything like this’
Suleiman Kagara, a resident of Jabo, said the community was left shaken by the incident.
‘We couldn’t sleep last night. We’ve never seen anything like this before,’ he said.
Kagara rejected suggestions that ISIS fighters had been present in or around the village, stressing that Jabo has no history of extremist activity. He described the community as peaceful and religiously tolerant, with Muslims and Christians living side by side.
‘In Jabo, we see Christians as our brothers. We don’t have religious conflicts, so we weren’t expecting this,’ he said.
Residents said the projectile landed in open fields just outside the settlement, close enough to trigger alarm but not close enough to cause injuries. While no casualties were reported, many villagers remained outside overnight, afraid to return indoors.
Local lawmaker dismisses ISIS links
Bashar Isah Jabo, a member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly representing Tambuwal, also dismissed claims of ISIS activity in the area.
‘This is a peaceful community with no known history of ISIS, Lakurawa, or any other terrorist groups,’ he told CNN.
He said debris from the strike landed about 500 metres from the village’s only primary healthcare centre, underscoring how narrowly the community avoided a more serious incident.
The lawmaker called for stronger coordination between security agencies and local authorities, warning that such incidents risk eroding trust between civilians and the state.
Nigeria confirms joint operation
Nigeria’s Ministry of Information later confirmed that Nigerian forces, working in coordination with the United States, carried out what it described as ‘precision strike operations’ against ISIS hideouts located in forested areas of Tangaza district, also in Sokoto state.
According to the ministry, debris from expended munitions fell in Jabo and in another location in Kwara state. Officials stressed that no civilians were harmed and that the operation was carefully planned.
The ministry said the strikes formed part of broader counterterrorism efforts aimed at degrading ISIS-linked networks operating across Nigeria’s northwest.
Government: civilians not the target
Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said Nigerian President Bola Tinubu approved the operation and that it was undertaken to protect civilians rather than target any religious or ethnic group.
‘The objective was to safeguard communities and neutralise terrorist threats,’ Tuggar said, adding that Nigeria remains committed to working with international partners while prioritising civilian safety.
The incident highlights the growing complexity of counterterrorism operations in Nigeria’s northwest, where extremist threats, criminal banditry and civilian communities often exist in close proximity. For residents of Jabo, however, the overriding concern remains why their village was caught in the fallout of a strike they insist had nothing to do with them.
