US airstrikes hit wrong target in Sokoto — Security Expert

A counter-terrorism and security expert, Zagazola Makama, has described the Thursday’s airstrikes carried out by the United States military in Sokoto State as a misdirected operation that failed to hit any terrorist stronghold.

Makama made the assertion amid growing public interest surrounding the reported US military action in North-west Nigeria.

In a post shared on his verified X account handle, Makama said the airstrikes reportedly landed in a location with no known history of terrorist activity, thereby yielding no impact on insurgent groups operating in the country.

“Those asking for our opinion on the U.S. Strike in Sokoto. Well, the Bombs Dropped in a Relatively Safe Part of Sokoto State with no impact,” he wrote.

According to the security analyst, the affected area, Jabo community, is a farming settlement located under Tambuwal local government area of Sokoto State and has no record of activities linked to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), ISIS, or Boko Haram.

“Jabo is a farming community under Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and it has no single record of ISIS and ISWAP activity,” he stated.

Makama further explained that while foreign military support in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism was welcome, such interventions must be based on accurate intelligence to avoid striking non-threat locations.

“We welcome U.S interventions to assist Nigeria, but certainly Jabo community in Sokoto was a wrong target for ISWAP, Boko Haram or ISIS who are known to be operating in the North East Nigeria,” he said.

“Even JNIM a.k.a Lakurawa do not have any base in North West,” Makama added.

Addressing narratives around religious violence, the security expert stressed that the affected community poses no threat to Christians, noting that the area is predominantly Muslims and has itself been a victim of banditry.

“The area of strikes is also predominantly 98 Muslim population and does not possess any threat to Christian Genocide. It is a case of bandits terrorizing Muslims,” he wrote.

Despite his criticism of the alleged target, Makama maintained that sustained military pressure on terror groups remains necessary.

“The strikes and more to come is a welcome development as it will send a big message,” he concluded. (LEADERSHIP)