JABO, Nigeria (AP) – On Thursday night, Sanusi Madabo, a 40-year-old farmer in Jabo village, encountered a shocking event as he heard a loud noise akin to a plane crash. He and his wife rushed outside their mud home to witness the sky aglow with a bright red light that persisted for hours, leading Madabo to describe the scene as resembling "almost like daytime."
It wasn't until later that Madabo learned he had witnessed a U.S. strike targeting a camp of the militant Islamic State group. U.S. President Donald Trump announced the offensive shortly after midnight Friday, claiming it was a "powerful and deadly strike" against IS militants within Nigeria. The Nigerian government confirmed its cooperation with the U.S. in this operation.
A Panicked Village
Nigeria's government spokesperson, Mohammed Idris, detailed that the strikes originated from the Gulf of Guinea and utilized "16 GPS-guided precision missiles" alongside MQ-9 Reaper drones. The airstrikes aimed at locations reportedly used as staging grounds by foreign IS fighters who had infiltrated Nigeria from the Sahel region of Africa.
Local residents expressed panic and confusion following the attacks, which were said to have struck near Jabo's outskirts. Thankfully, there were no reported casualties among the villagers, despite the intense heat experienced during the strikes. Abubakar Sani, a villager, described how his home shook, followed by fires erupting in the vicinity. He emphasized the Nigerian government’s responsibility to ensure the safety of its citizens, stating, "We have never experienced anything like this before."
A New Phase in an Ongoing Conflict
This military action represents a culmination of months of tense diplomatic interactions between Nigeria and the United States. The Trump administration has framed Nigeria as facing a genocide against Christians, a claim the Nigerian government has disputed. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the recent strikes were a product of intelligence sharing and strategic coordination between both nations.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar referred to the airstrikes as a "new phase of an old conflict," with expectations of more actions to follow. He highlighted that violence aimed at both Christian and Muslim populations in Nigeria has been a persistent issue for years.
Security analyst Bulama Bukarti elaborated on residents’ fears, noting that the lack of information exacerbated the situation. Access to the strike zone has since been restricted by Nigerian security forces, with concerns that opacity from the government could heighten local panic and tension.
Foreign Fighters in Nigeria
Analysts speculate that the attacks may have targeted the Lakurawa group, an emerging entity within Nigeria's complex security landscape, identified for its first recorded attack in 2018. While this group consists mainly of foreign fighters from the Sahel, the connections between Lakurawa and the Islamic State remain unverified. The Islamic State West African Province, an IS affiliate, primarily operates in Nigeria's northeastern region.
In a display of local vulnerability, Jabo village leader Aliyu Garba noted that debris from the strikes littered the area, drawing residents to the scene. Some began collecting debris in hopes of salvaging valuable metal, raising concerns about potential injuries from remnants of the strike.
The event has deeply unsettled local residents like 17-year-old Balira Sa’id, who was preparing for her wedding. She expressed her unease, stating, "I am supposed to be thinking about my wedding, but right now I am panicking. The strike has changed everything. My family is afraid, and I don’t even know if it is safe to continue with the wedding plan in Jabo."
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Reported by Ope Adetayo And Tunde Omolehin, The Associated Press
