A security analyst, Zagazola Makama, has faulted the United States military airstrikes carried out in parts of Sokoto State on Christmas night, describing the operation as a case of wrong targeting with no impact on terrorist groups operating in Nigeria.
The airstrikes, which triggered panic among residents, were reportedly carried out in Jabo community, Tambuwal Local Government Area of the state.
A viral video circulating on social media showed frightened villagers fleeing as flames rose from the site of one of the strikes.
As of the time of filing this report, details of the operation remain sketchy, while no casualties have been officially recorded.
Reacting to the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Makama said investigations revealed that the bombs landed on a farm located in what he described as a relatively safe part of Sokoto State, far removed from known insurgent strongholds.
According to him, Jabo community has no history of activities linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Boko Haram or ISIS, groups largely active in Nigeria’s North-East region.
“Those asking for our opinion on the U.S. strike in Sokoto. Well, the bombs dropped in a relatively safe part of Sokoto State with no impact,” Makama wrote.
He explained that Jabo is a purely agrarian settlement and does not feature on the security radar as an insurgent enclave, adding that even Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), also known locally as Lakurawa, has no established base in North-West Nigeria.
Makama further noted that the area affected by the strike is predominantly Muslim, dismissing insinuations that the attack was connected to religious persecution or any form of Christian genocide.
“What we have in the North-West is a case of banditry, where armed groups are terrorising local Muslim communities,” he stated.
Despite criticising the targeting, the security expert said foreign military support remains welcome, stressing that sustained international intervention could help send a strong warning to criminal elements destabilising parts of the country.
“We welcome U.S. interventions to assist Nigeria, but certainly Jabo community in Sokoto was a wrong target,” he added.
The incident has since reignited concerns over intelligence coordination and civilian safety amid counterterrorism operations in Nigeria.
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