There are indications that suspected terrorists operating in parts of northern Nigeria are relocating following missile strikes carried out by the United States on Thursday night.
Credible community sources told Sunday PUNCH that unusual movements were observed as armed elements began migrating in small groups after the Christmas Day attacks.
President Donald Trump had announced that the US military conducted deadly strikes against Islamic State terrorists in north-western Nigeria. Confirming the development, the Federal Government said it supported the operation, adding that the strikes targeted specific locations used by the terrorists.
No casualties were recorded at the two locations hit. In Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, a missile reportedly struck a farmland, while some buildings were damaged in Offa, Kwara State. Officials of Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, however, disclosed that additional strikes were carried out on suspected hideouts of the Lakurawa armed group within the Sokoto axis.
Although no deaths were recorded, several residents sustained injuries, while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed, particularly in Offa.
Influx of bandits in Benue
The Chairman of the Traditional Council in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, Daniel Abomtse, raised the alarm over the influx of armed herders into some communities following the US strikes.
Speaking with one of our correspondents on Saturday, Abomtse said he noticed the presence of armed herders in his domain and neighbouring Agatu Local Government Area.
“I felt their movement in my local government as well as in Agatu LGA. They have been running away from Sokoto to coastal areas in Gwer West and Agatu with sophisticated arms and grazing openly. They are in my domain,” he said.
While commending the US action, Abomtse urged President Trump to extend the operation to Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Niger and Plateau states.
“What President Trump has done is the best thing to have happened to the government of Nigeria. I commend him for tackling a menace that has lingered for about 16 years,” he added.
Efforts to get a response from the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful as calls and messages were not returned as of the time of filing this report.
Sokoto terrorists in disarray
Security sources and residents said the Christmas airstrikes disrupted the activities of bandits and forced them out of their hideouts.
Community leaders in Tangaza, Gudu and parts of Illela Local Government Areas of Sokoto State told Sunday PUNCH that signs of displacement and movement among armed groups had been observed since the strikes.
According to them, some bandits were seen moving in smaller numbers towards remote forest corridors, while others were believed to be attempting to cross into neighbouring border communities to evade surveillance.
A community leader in Tangaza said the airstrikes “sent a strong signal,” forcing criminal elements to abandon familiar routes and camps.
“People are cautious, but there is relief that their hideouts were hit,” he said.
Sokoto State government officials said intelligence assessments were ongoing to determine the scale and direction of bandit movements. A senior official disclosed that security agencies had been placed on alert to prevent infiltration into safer communities, with border patrols and joint operations intensified to block escape routes.
A security expert, Bashar Umar, said the state government, in collaboration with the military and other agencies, was strengthening surveillance across flashpoints, especially in border local governments, to curb terrorist movement.
US scans Sambisa Forest
A United States congressman, Riley Moore, said the strikes prevented “deadly Christmas attacks in Nigeria.”
Moore, who stated this on Saturday via X, noted that Christians in Nigeria had been killed during the last two Christmas seasons.
“This year, thanks to @POTUS, radical Islamic terrorists were on the receiving end of 12 Tomahawk missiles as a present. The successful strikes on ISIS, in coordination with the Nigerian government, are just the first step to secure the country and end the slaughter of our brothers and sisters in Christ,” he wrote.
Sunday PUNCH also learnt that the US had resumed surveillance operations over the Sambisa Forest in Borno State. A Sahel-focused terrorism tracker, Brant Philip, disclosed this on X, sharing flight-tracking data that showed a Gulfstream V aircraft—commonly modified for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions—operating over Borno State.
Experts warn of new tactics
A security analyst and Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Consulting, Kabiru Adamu, said fleeing terrorists might attempt to blend into law-abiding communities or seek support from international terror networks.
“There is going to be dislocation after the US strike. The terrorists will leave known locations and most likely try to integrate with communities. They may also spin a narrative to gain sympathy and support,” he said.
Adamu warned that Nigeria could become a theatre of international terror activity if security agencies failed to intensify surveillance and counter-propaganda efforts.
Similarly, a Professor of Political Science and Defence Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Tar Usman, said the strikes would distract terrorists and disrupt their planning.
“The uncertainty of future strikes will create panic among them, which is good for us because it limits their ability to plan attacks,” he said, while cautioning that terrorism would not end immediately as the groups could adopt new tactics.
A top government source told Sunday PUNCH that Nigeria and the United States were collaborating closely to end killings, banditry and kidnapping, adding that some terrorists were fleeing towards Kogi and neighbouring states, with measures already in place to flush them out.
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