A loud explosion, suspected to have been caused by an explosive device, was reported on Christmas night in Jabo village, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, sparking panic among residents.
Eyewitnesses told The Guardian that the incident occurred at about 9:00 p.m. when an unidentified object reportedly landed in the community and detonated with a loud bang. No casualties were recorded, as the device was said to have exploded away from residential clusters.
A resident of the area, Nasir Jabo, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent in Sokoto, said the explosion triggered fear and confusion, with many residents initially mistaking the sound for an attack.
“The sound was very loud and frightening. People ran out of their houses thinking it was an attack,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Sokoto State Police Command was yet to officially confirm the incident. Efforts to obtain a response from the police spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufai, were unsuccessful, as messages sent to him had not been replied to.
The reported explosion comes amid heightened security concerns following confirmation by the United States of military operations against Islamic State (ISIS) elements in north-western Nigeria.
On Thursday, United States President Donald Trump said U.S. forces carried out what he described as deadly airstrikes against ISIS terrorists operating in the region, warning of further attacks if assaults on Christians continued.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the strikes were authorised by him as Commander-in-Chief and executed by the U.S. Department of War.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians,” he wrote.
“I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” the president added, while also pledging that radical Islamic terrorism would not be allowed to thrive under his leadership.
In a separate post on X (formerly Twitter), the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, said Washington acted with the cooperation of the Nigerian government.
“Grateful for Nigerian government support and cooperation. The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end. The Department of War is always ready,” Hegseth wrote.
The U.S. Africa Command also confirmed the operation, stating that multiple ISIS terrorists were killed during the strikes
