The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has confirmed its awareness of recent United States airstrikes on terrorist targets in Sokoto State while also reporting a significant domestic counterterrorism success in Kogi and Kwara states.
However, authorities insisted that details of the foreign-led operation would not be publicly disclosed.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Tuesday, Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that while the police were involved in intelligence sharing, the Sokoto strikes fall squarely within the remit of national defence and security authorities.
“There was cooperation, but we prefer to leave it as a defence issue for those responsible to address,” Hundeyin said.
The December 25, 2025 airstrikes, carried out by U.S. military forces, reportedly neutralised several fighters linked to the Islamic State (ISIS).
U.S. President Donald Trump described the mission as decisive and vowed further action against extremist groups targeting Christians, though the Nigerian government clarified that the strikes were approved by President Bola Tinubu and aimed solely at counterterrorism, not any religious community.
Meanwhile, Hundeyin disclosed that Nigerian security forces had recently carried out a large-scale operation across Kogi and Kwara states, rescuing 309 abducted individuals and neutralising 55 terrorists during armed confrontations.
Another 129 suspects were arrested in the joint offensive conducted by specialised police units, including the Police Mobile Force, Intelligence Response Team, Special Intervention Squad, and the Police Air Wing, in collaboration with the Nigerian military and other security services.
The police spokesman emphasised that the terrorists who were killed had refused to surrender, choosing instead to engage security operatives in gun battles.
No casualties were reported among the security personnel.
He noted that the operation involved months of intelligence gathering, careful surveillance, and meticulous planning, with aerial support playing a key role in overcoming the heavily forested and remote terrain of the affected areas.
Several criminal hideouts and logistical bases were dismantled, with aerial footage showing settlements within forested regions set ablaze to deny terrorists safe havens.
Hundeyin described the Sokoto strikes and the Kogi-Kwara operations as part of a broader strategy to restore security across the country.
While the U.S.-led airstrikes remain classified, the ongoing domestic offensive signals a renewed commitment by Nigerian forces to target terrorist enclaves comprehensively.
“The operation is ongoing and will be sustained in the coming days,” Hundeyin said. “This is only the beginning of a broader and more aggressive campaign to restore peace and security.”
Security agencies have called on the public to remain patient and supportive, assuring Nigerians that concerted efforts will continue to prevent criminal and terrorist groups from exploiting remote areas as safe havens.
