The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has confirmed that it has received intelligence regarding the recent U.S. military strikes against terrorists in Sokoto State, but has chosen not to release details to the public.
Naijaonpoint reports that Benjamin Hundeyin, the NPF spokesperson, made this statement during a Tuesday appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he emphasized that the police would not disclose specifics about the operation, which took place on December 25, 2025.
“We engage a lot in intelligence gathering, not just intelligence sharing,” Hundeyin explained. “As the Police Force, we know certain things about the strikes, but we don’t want to talk about them. We decline to talk about that particular operation.”
He further clarified that while there was cooperation between Nigerian and U.S. forces, the NPF preferred to leave discussions about the operation to the Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for defense matters.
“There was cooperation, but we would rather leave it as a defence matter that the defence would talk about,” Hundeyin stated.
The U.S. Department of Defense reported that multiple ISIS-affiliated terrorists were killed in the strikes, which were carried out at the request of the Nigerian government.
U.S. President Donald Trump also confirmed the operation through a post on his Truth Social platform, describing the strikes as “perfect” and reaffirming the U.S.’s commitment to preventing the spread of radical Islamic terrorism.
In the aftermath, the Nigerian government confirmed that the operation was a joint security effort, with approval from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, reiterated that the operation was conducted as a collaboration with the U.S. and emphasized that it was not targeted at any particular religion but aimed at combating terrorism and safeguarding lives.
“We are a multi-religious country, and we are working with partners like the U.S. to fight terrorism and safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians,” Tuggar stated during an interview on Sunrise Daily.
The strikes come in response to escalating concerns over the safety of Christians in Nigeria, which led President Trump to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over allegations of religious persecution. However, the Nigerian government has firmly rejected claims of genocide against Christians in the country.