Ladan Salihu, a Nigerian broadcaster and former Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), has criticised the US air strike on Christmas night in Jabo village, Sokoto State, saying it missed its intended target and lacked precision.
Gatekeepers News reports that On December 25, the United States launched air strikes against ISIS terrorists in north-western Nigeria. The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said the operation was carried out “at the request of Nigerian authorities” and described it as a demonstration of military strength and commitment to eliminating terrorist threats.
Salihu, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said he spoke with Bashar Isah Jabo, a Sokoto State Assembly member who visited the site shortly after the strike. According to Jabo, the missiles landed in an empty plain approximately 300 metres from a local hospital, causing no casualties or fatalities.
Salihu added that Jabo village had recorded no terrorist or ISWAP-related activity in 2025, not even farmer-herder clashes. He questioned the rationale behind targeting the village and suggested the operation may have been intended “to grab a headline or send an inexplicable message.”
“I just spoke with Hon Sarkin Yaki Jabo, Member Sokoto State Assembly, who visited Jabo after the strike at 10:30 pm last night. The US strike near Tambuwal wasn’t a precision strike. No casualties. Missiles landed in a plain field 300 metres away from a local hospital,” Salihu wrote.
“I am in support of all collaborative efforts to fight terrorists. In 2025, Jabo did not record a single case of terror or ISWAP activity. Not even farmer/herder clashes. I expect the attack to hit Turji and other known terrorist masterminds in the North East.”
He added that villagers reported missile fragments near a huge crater, but there were no fatalities or injuries. “Defence Headquarters must investigate this and furnish Nigerians with a status report on the operation. Thank God the missiles did not hit the hospital or homes of innocent Jabo villagers,” Salihu wrote.
