January 1, 2026
By Ayinde Adeleke
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said a battle damage assessment is still ongoing following recent joint airstrikes conducted by the United States military in collaboration with Nigerian forces.
United States President Donald Trump had announced on Christmas Day that American forces carried out lethal strikes against Islamic State targets in north-western Nigeria. The development was later confirmed by the Federal Government as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.
The operation has since sparked public debate over its effectiveness, but the military said a comprehensive briefing would only be given after the completion of technical assessments.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, said the assessment process was still underway and assured that the outcome would be communicated to the public when concluded.
Onoja explained that intelligence reports had confirmed the presence of terrorist elements in the targeted areas before the strikes were executed, stressing that such operations are intelligence-driven.
He noted that terrorist groups operate across wide territories and are not confined to a single location, adding that the proximity of the Sahel region to parts of north-west Nigeria poses ongoing security challenges.
According to him, some operational details were withheld at the time for security reasons.
The defence spokesman said the Armed Forces were closely monitoring the movement of terror elements outside the strike zones and coordinating with field commanders to prevent their infiltration into civilian communities.
He added that residents were being sensitised to support security agencies with timely and credible information, emphasising that addressing insecurity requires a collective effort.
“Tackling insecurity is a whole-of-society responsibility,” Onoja said.
He also appealed to members of the public who may have picked up ammunition, fragments or other military materials from the operation to return such items to security agencies for safe handling.
Responding to criticisms surrounding the joint strikes, Onoja said the Armed Forces would remain focused on their constitutional responsibilities, noting that other relevant agencies were better positioned to engage public discourse on national security matters.
He further disclosed that the arrest of a suspected suicide bomber earlier in the week had disrupted planned terrorist activities, assuring that security agencies were intensifying intelligence-led operations to prevent future attacks.
The military, he said, would sustain offensive operations against terrorist groups into the new year.
