Overview
- U.S. Navy ships in the Gulf of Guinea launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at sites in Sokoto state, with reporting pointing to the destroyer Paul Ignatius of Task Force 65 as a key asset.
- Abuja’s foreign minister Yusuf Tuggar said Nigeria provided the targeting information and that President Bola Tinubu authorized the strikes after direct coordination with Washington.
- President Trump announced the action as a response to attacks on Christians, while Nigeria framed it as counterterrorism and stated it was not directed at any religion.
- U.S. officials described the targets as ISIS-linked, but researchers note the local Lakurawa network’s affiliations are contested and may differ from Islamic State claims.
- The operation followed weeks of stepped-up U.S.–Nigeria security cooperation after a November directive from Trump, and the Pentagon has not ruled out additional action.