Nigeria’s Air Force will take the lead in future strikes against jihadist targets in the northwest and will increasingly rely on U.S. reconnaissance flights for intelligence, following Washington’s Christmas Day strikes in Sokoto State, a Nigerian official familiar with the new security arrangement told AFP on Tuesday.
The official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the cooperation, said Nigeria remains open to further U.S. action but that America’s primary role is now expected to be intelligence support—including aerial surveillance that can help locate militant camps, track movement, and refine targeting for Nigerian aircraft.
On Dec. 25, 2025, the United States carried out strikes in northwest Nigeria’s Sokoto State against what Washington said were Islamic State-linked targets. Nigeria said the operation was coordinated and built on shared intelligence. Reuters later reported that the strike was conducted using MQ-9 Reaper drones at Nigeria’s request, with civilians subsequently warned not to handle unexploded remnants after footage emerged of locals scavenging debris from the sites.
The evolving arrangement comes after weeks of heightened U.S. attention on Nigeria’s security crisis. AFP and other outlets reported that analysts had tracked increased U.S. reconnaissance flights over Nigeria in the run-up to the Christmas Day attack, and that the surveillance activity has continued since.
The strikes followed a diplomatic flare-up that began in October, when U.S. President Donald Trump alleged that violence by armed groups in Nigeria amounted to “persecution” and “genocide” of Christians—claims Abuja rejected, insisting the country’s security challenges affect communities regardless of religion. Nigerian officials later said the dispute had eased, describing a “strengthened partnership” with Washington shortly before the strikes.
Abuja has said the Christmas Day operation targeted Islamic State militants, as well as the Lakurawa jihadist group and criminal “bandit” gangs in the northwest, though details around exact targets and outcomes have been contested in public reporting. Researchers have linked elements of Lakurawa to Islamic State Sahel Province, which operates in parts of the wider Sahel, including areas near Nigeria’s northern borders.
Nigeria has battled a jihadist insurgency since 2009, concentrated in the northeast, while heavily armed bandit groups have expanded across parts of the northwest and north-central regions, compounding pressure on security forces.
