NPF says operation remains a defence matter as FG confirms joint action approved by President Tinubu
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has confirmed it has intelligence on the recent United States military airstrikes against terrorist targets in Sokoto State, but says it will not disclose details of the operation to the public.
Speaking on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police were aware of the strikes but would refrain from commenting on specifics, describing the matter as one for defence authorities.
“We engage extensively in intelligence gathering, not just intelligence sharing. As the Police Force, we know certain things about the strikes, but we don’t want to talk about them,” Hundeyin said during the programme hosted by Seun Okinbaloye.
“We decline to talk about that particular operation. There was a cooperation, but we would rather leave it as a defence matter that the defence would speak on,” he added.
The comments follow confirmation that the United States carried out airstrikes on December 25, 2025, targeting terrorist elements operating in Sokoto. The U.S. Department of Defense said the operation resulted in the killing of multiple ISIS fighters, and was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government.
U.S. President Donald Trump publicly announced the strikes on his Truth Social platform, describing the operation as “numerous perfect strikes” and vowing that the United States would not allow “Radical Islamic Terrorism” to thrive under his leadership.
“May God bless our Military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists,” Trump wrote, adding that more strikes would follow if attacks on Christians continued.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has since confirmed that the airstrikes were part of a joint security operation, approved by President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on the Boxing Day edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar said the collaboration with the United States was aimed solely at combating terrorism and not directed at any religious group.
“Now that the U.S. is cooperating, we are doing it jointly,” Tuggar said. “The President emphasised that it must be clear this is a joint operation and that it is not targeting any religion.”
“We are a multi-religious country, and we are working with partners like the United States to fight terrorism and protect the lives and property of Nigerians,” the minister added.
The strikes came amid heightened diplomatic tensions following President Trump’s earlier comments on insecurity in Nigeria, particularly the killing of Christians. The U.S. leader had described the situation as an “existential threat” and designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern.
However, the Nigerian government rejected claims of religious persecution or genocide, maintaining that security challenges in the country are not religiously motivated but driven by terrorism and criminality.
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