As of Friday evening, 26vDecember 2025, the situation following the U.S. Christmas Day airstrikes in Sokoto State has evolved into a complex debate over sovereignty, religious narratives, and the true impact on the ground.
New reports from Jabo, a village in the Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto, describe a night of terror and confusion as local farmers reported the sky glowing bright red for hours. One resident, Sanusi Madabo, told reporters the heat became “intense” as the projectiles approached.
While President Trump and AFRICOM initially reported “multiple terrorists killed,” residents in Jabo insist there were no casualties in their immediate vicinity, only craters in cultivated farm fields.
Nigerian security forces have since cordoned off the strike zones, preventing locals and journalists from inspecting the shrapnel-strewn sites.
Furthermore, the “jointness” of the operation is being currently and fiercely debated as Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar revealed he held a 19-minute strategy call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio before getting final approval from President Tinubu.
The Nigerian government is working overtime to frame this as a “joint counter-terrorism operation.” However, they are publicly pushing back against Trump’s “Christian persecution” narrative, insisting that the targeted terrorists (likely the Lakurawa/ISIS-Sahel group) kill both Muslims and Christians indiscriminately.
Observers noted that AFRICOM initially posted on X (Twitter) that the strike was “at the request of Nigeria,” but later deleted and replaced it with a version saying it was “in coordination with Nigeria”, a subtle but significant diplomatic shift.
Notably, the response has continued to split along religious and political lines.
The U.S. has signaled that this is not a one-off event. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ended his briefing with a chilling three-word warning: “More to come.” This suggests a new phase of U.S. military interventionism in the Sahel, especially as the U.S. seeks to regain a foothold in the region after being evicted from bases in Niger earlier this year.
