The Defence Headquarters has cautioned residents against picking up or keeping unexploded ordnance and debris from locations impacted by recent joint United States air strikes in Sokoto State.
The US carried out precision strikes on terrorists on Christmas Day, deploying 16 precision‑guided munitions (PGMs) against two major Islamic State‑linked enclaves in the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area.
Some of the debris, however, reportedly fell in Offa, Kwara State, leading to reports of explosions in communities there around the time the air strikes were launched.
The air strikes were conducted at the request of the Nigerian government, the Presidency had said.
Speaking with journalists on Friday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, said specialised ordnance units of the armed forces had been deployed to recover debris and remnants from the strike sites.
He said, “We do not expect civilians to pick up or keep such materials. We can only appeal to them to return all materials that may prove harmful to them.”
The appeal followed online clips showing residents scavenging unexploded ordnance and fragments at strike locations in Sokoto, raising concerns about the risk of deadly explosions.
In Kwara State, an undetonated explosive device was reportedly found at one of the blast sites, prompting heightened security measures by local authorities.