A group of men suspected to be herders have stirred public concern after a video showed them openly mocking the United States while handling what they described as fragments of a U.S. bomb in Sokoto State.
The incident reportedly occurred in Jabo community, where the men were seen sitting around a metallic object said to be remnants of a bomb dropped on Christmas Day.
They treated the object casually, laughed, touched it, and rolled it on the ground as if it posed no danger.
In the footage, the men spoke in Hausa and repeatedly dismissed the power of the U.S. military.
They claimed no American weapon could successfully strike Nigerian soil. Their tone was boastful and defiant throughout the video.
At one point, a voice encouraged the group to prove their bravery while also offering a prayer for safety.
“Show your strength, my people. I am praying for you that this fragment will not explode by God’s grace,” one of the men said.
The mocking continued as the men turned their attention to both foreign and local armed forces. They ridiculed the idea that any military could overpower Nigerians, insisting that only divine will could determine defeat.
“Army, you are a disgrace. We Nigerians supersede you. Nothing can defeat us except God’s wish,” another voice declared.
The men went further, rejecting the effectiveness of even the most powerful weapons. They warned the United States to stay away from Nigeria and described America as disgraced.
“Nuclear weapons will never work in Nigeria. The American government should stay clear out of our domain. We are stronger than you.”
They also issued curses, claiming that any harm intended for them would return to its source.
“All your bad wishes return back to you. America, you have been disgraced,” one of the voices added.
The video has raised serious safety and security concerns, especially due to the way the suspected explosive fragment was handled without caution. Security experts warn that unexploded materials can detonate at any time, causing severe harm.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters has expressed alarm over reports that explosive items were removed from the site of the alleged airstrike. Military authorities say such materials are extremely dangerous and should never be handled by civilians.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, confirmed that unauthorised persons had taken sensitive materials from the area. He stressed that only trained military units are equipped to recover and neutralise such devices safely.
“We can only appeal to them to return all materials that may prove harmful to them,” Onoja said. “We don’t expect anybody to take away these materials. We have formations within the armed forces whose duty it is to recover those things.”
He warned that keeping or displaying such items puts lives at risk. He also urged the media to help pass the message to affected communities.
“So we also want you to disseminate to them that they should return them to the military or security locations so that we can disarm those things before they cause greater damage to the individuals who have taken them and to the other members of the public,” he added.
The military has advised anyone in possession of such materials to return them immediately to the nearest security post to avoid possible tragedy.