Tangaza local government chairman in Sokoto State, Isa Saleh Bashir, says a recent United States airstrike targeted a known terrorist transit corridor along the Nigeria–Niger Republic border, raising the likelihood that armed group members were affected by the operation.
Speaking to BBC Hausa, the Chairman said the area struck is widely regarded by security actors and local communities as a major route used by armed groups moving between Niger and Nigeria.#Sokoto state
“The location that was hit is a major passage terrorists use when crossing from the Niger Republic,” Mr Salihu said. “They frequently move through the area and have camps in the forests and rocky terrain along the border.”
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He said the strike caused fear and confusion in nearby communities but noted that casualty figures had yet to be confirmed, pending official security assessments.
“We are still awaiting detailed briefings from security agencies. At the moment, we cannot say how many people were killed or whether civilians were affected,” he told BBC Hausa.
Meanwhile, a Sokoto-based Islamic cleric, Murtala Asada, shared a video clip of a forest with smoke saying that it was a terrorist den that was bombed in the strike.
Residents of Tangaza and Tambuwal LGAs separately confirmed hearing loud explosions, with some reporting that debris was found at blast sites. In Tambuwal’s Jabo district, videos circulating on social media showed residents inspecting what appeared to be remnants of the strike on farmland.
Local sources in Tangaza said the affected locations were believed to be hideouts of the Lakurawa group, an armed faction operating in parts of north-western Nigeria.
The group, which emerged from transnational herder networks in the Sahel, has been accused of imposing levies on communities and enforcing parallel systems of control in border settlements.
Tangaza shares a long, porous boundary with Niger, a factor security analysts say has enabled cross-border movement of armed groups, weapons trafficking, and safe retreat during military pressure.
A US military official told The New York Times that the operation involved multiple cruise missiles launched from a US Navy vessel, striking what were described as ISIS-linked camps in Sokoto State. The official said the operation was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) later said its initial assessment suggested that “multiple” ISIS fighters were killed during the strike, which it said was carried out at Nigeria’s request.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs has also confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the operation and that Nigerian intelligence supported the strikes.
However, community leaders and residents in the affected areas have continued to call for transparency, urging authorities to clarify who was targeted, the extent of damage, and whether any civilians were harmed.
Security agencies in Sokoto State had not responded to requests for comment at the time of filing this report.
