Members of the United States Congress have formally requested detailed explanations from the Pentagon on the US airstrikes conducted in Nigeria on December 25, 2025, as well as the broader American military posture in the country.
The United States President, Donald Trump, had announced on December 25 that US forces conducted strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria’s North-West region.
The Federal Government later stated that the operation, carried out in Sokoto State, was authorised and did not violate the country’s sovereignty or territorial integrity.
However, in a March 9, 2026 letter addressed to US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, and obtained by our correspondent on Saturday, lawmakers led by a Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Sara Jacobs, and Congressman Jason Crow demanded clarification on the operation.
The letter was also copied to US Africa Command Chief, Dagvin Anderson, and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
The lawmakers sought details on the Sokoto State strikes, including their legal basis, coordination with Nigerian authorities, intelligence sharing, and reports suggesting possible civilian casualties and operational errors.
The correspondence referenced public statements from the US administration describing the December 2025 operation as “multiple flawless strikes” against “ISIS terrorist scum” in northwest Nigeria targeting militants for “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
Credit: Punch
