The Nigeria Police Force has declined to disclose details of the United States’ airstrikes against terrorist targets in Sokoto State, describing the operation as a sensitive defence matter beyond public commentary.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, made this known on Tuesday during Channels Television’s Politics Today, saying the police were privy to intelligence surrounding the December 25, 2025 strikes but would not release such information.
Hundeyin explained that while the police engage extensively in intelligence gathering and sharing, operational specifics of the US-led strikes would remain confidential.
“As the Police Force, we know certain things about the strikes, but we don’t want to talk about them. We decline to talk about that particular operation,” he said.
“There was a cooperation, but we would rather leave it as a defence matter that the defence would talk about.”
The comments followed confirmation by the United States Department of Defense that American forces carried out precision strikes on terrorist hideouts in north-western Nigeria, killing what it described as “multiple ISIS terrorists.”
The Pentagon said the operation was conducted with the approval of the Nigerian government.
US President Donald Trump had announced the strikes on his Truth Social platform, describing them as “powerful and deadly” actions against Islamic State militants.
He warned that the United States would not allow radical Islamic terrorism to thrive, particularly amid claims of attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
However, the Federal Government pushed back against suggestions that the operation was religiously motivated. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said the strikes were part of a joint security effort authorised by President Bola Tinubu and carried out strictly to combat terrorism.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Boxing Day, Tuggar stressed that the operation was not targeted at any religious group.
“We are a multi-religious country, and we are working with partners like the US to fight terrorism and safeguard the lives and property of Nigerians,” the minister said.
The strikes came amid heightened international scrutiny after Trump declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, citing what he described as an “existential threat” to Christians.
The Nigerian government has since rejected allegations of genocide, insisting that its security operations are aimed solely at restoring peace and stability.
While security agencies have confirmed cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, the police insist that further details of the Sokoto strikes will remain under wraps in the interest of national security.
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