The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has confirmed it possesses information about US airstrikes against terrorists in Sokoto, but will not release the details to the public.
This was disclosed by NPF spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin during Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“We engage a lot in intelligence gathering, not just intelligence sharing. 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,” Hundeyin said.
He emphasized that while there was cooperation with the United States, the operation is considered a defence matter and any public communication will come from the Ministry of Defence.
On 25 December 2025, the United States carried out airstrikes in Sokoto, targeting terrorists. The US Department of Defense reported that “multiple ISIS terrorists” were killed, and the operation was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government.
US President Donald Trump announced the strikes on Truth Social, highlighting that the operation targeted radical Islamic terrorism, and praised the US military for “executing numerous perfect strikes.”
In response, the Federal Government of Nigeria stressed that the operation was joint and non-sectarian. Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar said, “We are a multi-religious country, and we are working with partners like the US to fight terrorism and safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians. This operation is not targeting any religion or group.”
The strikes followed Trump’s declaration of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, citing alleged threats to Christians.