US airstrikes: Casualties likely in Sokoto

There is the likelihood that some of the Thursday’s late night airstrikes by the United States of America (USA) hit the desired target, especially in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, credible security sources in Abuja, local officials and residents have said.

A top security source in Abuja told Daily Trust yesterday that “a huge success was recorded in the mountainous areas of Tangaza which had been harbouring bandits that have been redesignated as terrorists.”

His claim is coming amid heightened expectation among Nigerians and foreigners who have been waiting since Friday to get an update on the outcome of the airstrikes led by the US.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “the delay in releasing the proof of success is deliberate,” adding, “there is no doubt about whether non-state actors have been decimated or not. It was a success story.”

Another security source corroborated the claim.  “Indeed, there were attacks on suspected camps of the terrorists in Tangaza. There is no doubt about this. However, for whatever reason, footages have not been released,” he said.

“However, you should be mindful of the fact that the US is involved…In fact, they led the offensive and therefore, some of the privilege information is in their custody,” he said.

“But I am sure that in the next few days, the locals around the affected areas would open up,” he said.

United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday that US forces conducted deadly strikes against Islamic State terrorists in Northwestern Nigeria, and vowed more attacks if the militants keep killing Christians.

Trump stated this on his Truth Social platform, adding that the Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes.

He wrote, “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries!

“I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.

The chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area, Isa Saleh Bashir, had said: “Indeed, attacks were carried out in the forest and they were in terrorist camps. Among the places targeted was a village called Tandami.”

He added, “We have not received reports of fatalities, but certainly there were injuries. Reports also indicate that Niger Republic security officials on patrol said they saw members of the Lakurawa fleeing from the area.”

Daily Trust reports that despite cautious jubilation from some Nigerians over the offensive, considering the protracted nature of the insecurity in the country that has claimed thousands of lives over the years, there are many people who believe that the operation had failed, considering that no pictures or videos of the terrorists killed have been released.

This is amid complaints from residents of some affected villages in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, who said some explosives and shrapnel had landed on some farmlands and residential locations, even though the area had not witnessed security challenges for years.

Similar sentiments were shared by people of Offa in Kwara State.

Our correspondents report that since the onslaught on Thursday, there has been no official report on the number of casualties recorded, apart from the claim by President  Trump that the aerial reconnaissance was conducted with precision.

“They were going to do it earlier,” Trump had said. “And I said, ‘nope, let’s give a Christmas present.’ … They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated.”

US Africa Command said the attack was launched around the Niger republic border to the north, “in coordination with Nigerian authorities.” AFRICOM’s initial assessment is that “multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the ISIS camps,” according to a news release. A US official told CNN the strikes included Tomahawk missiles fired from a Navy vessel that struck two ISIS camps.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who also spoke on Friday, said that the strikes were carried out in the Bauni forest of the Tangaza LGA against two major ISIS enclaves, which he said were being used as assembly and staging grounds to plan “large-scale terrorist attacks” in Nigeria.

A local source at Tangaza said they saw some flying objects Thursday night.

“They landed on the mountainous area South-East of Tangaza,” he said.

“The areas are the enclaves of the notorious Lakurawa. We are optimistic that by the time ground troops access the area, there would be good news,” he said.

Daily Trust gathered that residents of Jabo and Tangaza in Sokoto State yesterday continued with their normal daily activities.

Residents of Jabo said they had resorted to prayers following the Thursday’s airstrikes by the US forces in the state.

A resident, Engineer Nuhu Jabo, said special prayers were offered during Friday’s Juma’at prayers, with Imams cautioning worshippers against rushing to the scenes of explosions.

This is just as security operatives have continued to assess the impacts of the airstrikes in Tangaza Local Government Area, an area believed to be a stronghold of the Lakurawa group.

Personnel of the police anti-kidnapping unit and members of the Sokoto Community Guards are said to be combing surrounding forests to determine the extent of the damage and identify possible casualties.

The operation was reportedly directed by the deputy governor of the state, Idris Gobir.

Borno villagers consider relocation over possible airstrike

Residents of some villages in Borno State told Daily Trust that they were considering relocating to a safer place over a possible airstrike by US forces.

Locals in the Lake Chad area said they had sighted military aircraft hovering in the sky for almost thirty minutes yesterday before it disappeared.

One of them, Malam Abba Dankale, said the US airstrike in Sokoto had scared them.

“After the dawn prayer, people saw the aircraft hovering and we became very scared. Only few farmers and fishermen summoned courage to go to their farms and fishing locations.

“We don’t know what would happen to us if the US Air Force comes to operate in these area. Many of us are considering relocating to Baga because there is no security presence here.

“And, we advised all our fishermen and farmers that are doing their legitimate occupation around Dawashi, Dabar Giwa, Malam Karanti, Garin Malam Shuaibu, Daban Masara, Dunbulwa, Daban Gajere, and other places to be careful because these areas might be the target due to the population of people and the activities of Boko Haram and ISWAP members in some of the places,” he said.

Another resident of Doron Baga, who spoke to our correspondent anonymously, said some of the people farming at Dawashi, Malan Karanti and other places had started relocating to Baga town.

“You know in these whole places, there is no security presence. Our people are just bulldozing those areas to farm and catch fish, but most times with the approval of the Boko Haram insurgents.

“You remember when 40 beans farmers were killed by the insurgents at Dumba, after they accused them of sharing intelligence with military and the other attacks that left more than 23 fishermen in the Lake Chad?

“All these are the risk of living in those areas. I also advise some of our relatives farming in those places to leave those locations until the situation become calm,” he said.

Why US operations should be extended To N/East – Ndume

Former Senate leader and senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, weekend urged the federal government to expand ongoing joint military operations with the United States to Nigeria’s North-East, citing the persistent threat posed by terrorist groups in the region.

He made the call while commending the recent airstrikes in Sokoto State.

Ndume, a former chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, said extending such joint operations to the North-East would significantly weaken the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram.

“We welcome this cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in targeting terrorist hideouts,” Ndume said.

“I am calling on both governments to extend it to the North-East, where ISWAP and Boko Haram maintain three major strongholds—Lake Chad, the Mandara Mountains and the Sambisa Forest,” he added.

He also advocated deeper military collaboration, including training, intelligence sharing, logistics support and the deployment of attack helicopters to support ground troops.

Yobe residents welcome US intervention

Some residents of Yobe State, who spoke to Daily Trust yesterday, welcomed the US strikes in Sokoto.

They were, however, worried that fleeing terrorists might attack civilians.

The residents are from Goniri, Katarko, and Ngurbuwa in Gujba LGA; Yaro, Sashehu, Awasai, Lukuri and Bulakuwa in Geidam LGA; and Zango, Barah, and Kojoli in Gulani LGA.

Babagana Bukar, a resident of Goniri village in Gujba LGA, said: “While we welcome the America’s intervention to curb insurgency, our major concern is the safety of innocent villagers who may be affected by airstrikes. There is uncertainty among our people, which you can see in public gatherings, markets, schools and even mosques.”

Aisami Babagana, a resident of Kojoli village in Gulani LGA, said: “We have not received any official information that Yobe is part of the U.S. airstrike operation, but people are afraid Boko Haram may retaliate.

“Most people are happy about the America’s intervention and believe it could weaken Boko Haram, but we are worried that surviving militants may attack civilians and accuse them of collaborating with security agencies,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, Modu Mustapha, a trader in Geidam LGA, said residents generally welcome the U.S. airstrikes and urged the American government to sustain the effort.

“There is panic, but people are mostly happy. Many residents believe this intervention will help end the activities of Boko Haram and ISWAP. With this U.S. intervention, we are optimistic that these insurgents will eventually be wiped out.”

Criticisms against airstrikes

A former Nigerian ambassador and diplomat, Suleiman Dahiru, had on Friday described the US strikes in Sokoto as “a unilateral action”.

He queried the rationale behind targeting Sokoto, “the heart of the caliphate”, instead of Borno, where Boko Haram had carried out deadly attacks.

He said: “The attack should have been in Borno State against Boko Haram. More so, when recently they detonated a bomb in a mosque in Gamboru, killing five people and injuring over 30 people.”

He also slammed Trump for gloating over the attack and linking it to attacks on people killing Christians.”

An intelligence and counter-terrorism expert, Abdullahi Garba, had also said the airstrike was an indictment of both the Nigerian government and its military “because this implies that we are not capable of governing ourselves as a sovereign nation.”

He asked: “Do we really need external forces to defeat terrorism for us? No. We have every capacity and capability to do that on our own. We have both human and capital resources to do that. Our hardworking Air Force personnel are being portrayed in a bad light. We have the best military officers in Africa that can defeat these terrorists if at all we are serious as a nation,” he told Daily Trust.

Tables have turned – US congressman

American congressman, Riley Moore, weekend said the Sokoto airstrike was to end the killings of Christians in Nigeria.

“Obviously, President Trump has finally stood up to this, and I do want to point out something very important: the last two Christmases, there has been a massacre of Christians in Nigeria,” Moore stated in an X post.

“The tables have absolutely turned this year. The Islamic terrorists in Nigeria were the ones receiving that type of present this year.

“So, quite a bit different, the president is totally focused on this. He made that very clear in this attack, and this is a very good first step to addressing this issue.

“We did this in coordination with the Nigerian government, which is very important to point out.”

“Because this isn’t the United States unilaterally doing this, we are doing this in coordination with the Nigerian government to help secure their country and end the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria.”

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