Eshiorameh Sebastian in Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force has launched a widespread series of airstrikes, destroying terrorist camps and neutralising fighters across multiple northern states in a significant escalation of counter-terrorism operations.
The intense air campaign, which targeted locations in Borno, Kwara, and Katsina states, came amid heightened international tension following a threat from former US President Donald Trump.
The air operations were described by military officials as precision strikes aimed at crippling the capabilities of extremist groups. In Borno State, the focus was on areas within the northern Tumbuns, known strongholds of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Using real-time intelligence from surveillance aircraft, Nigerian jets struck locations near Shuwaram and Mallam Fatori. Military reports indicated that air assets successfully targeted terrorists who were seen mobilising on motorcycles and boats along the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin.
According to a statement from Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the Nigerian Air Force spokesperson, the strikes in the northeast “destroyed insurgent hideouts, logistics hubs, and weapons storage facilities, eliminating several terrorists and crippling their mobility capabilities.” Post-strike battle damage assessment confirmed what the military termed “multiple neutralisations” and a significant degradation of ISWAP’s operational networks in the area.
Simultaneously, the air campaign extended westwards, with strikes hitting bandit camps in the Garin Dandi and Chigogo areas of Kwara State. The Air Force also conducted armed reconnaissance missions across a vast corridor spanning parts of Zamfara, Kebbi, and Kaduna States. These missions covered key settlements such as Kakihum, Dankolo, Kotonkoro, and Kuyello, which are known routes and hideouts for armed groups operating along the volatile Birnin Gwari–Funtua axis.
One engagement during this reconnaissance highlighted the rapid nature of the operations. The aircrew, coordinating with ground troops at Forward Operating Bases, spotted suspected terrorists on motorcycles near Wam Hill attempting to flee. The aircrew swiftly engaged and neutralised the targets, after which no further hostile activity was observed.
In a separate but related operation, a key terrorist hideout on Zango Hill in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State was struck. The location was identified as the base of a prominent terrorist kingpin and his fighters.
Guided by actionable intelligence, aircraft executed multiple attack passes on the hill, destroying what were described as key logistics hubs and neutralising several terrorists. The military characterised this particular strike as “one of the most decisive in the region.”
This large-scale aerial offensive unfolds against a complex backdrop of both internal conflict and external diplomatic pressure. Just hours before the airstrikes were reported, rival terrorist factions, Boko Haram (Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunna lid-Da’wa wa’l-Jihād) and ISWAP, engaged in a violent confrontation in the Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State. The clash, which occurred on Sunday evening in the island community of Toumbun Gini, was reportedly an attempt by ISWAP to reclaim territory recently seized by Boko Haram.
Local sources described a deadly ambush, with Boko Haram fighters, having prior intelligence of the attack, overpowering the ISWAP force. More than 50 ISWAP fighters were reportedly killed, and seven of their boats were seized. A video obtained by journalists appeared to show bloodied bodies in a canoe, with fighters chanting “Allahu Akbar.”
The military pressure was not confined to the air. On the ground, troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion, operating in the Buratai–Kamuya area, foiled a Boko Haram ambush aimed at abducting civilians.
The troops rescued 86 victims and pursued the terrorists to a camp in Mangari, which was subsequently destroyed. In a separate ground operation at Mangada, troops arrested 29 suspected logistics suppliers who were en route to a terrorist enclave with two pickup vans and a tricycle loaded with about 1,000 litres of petrol, engine oil, gun-truck tyres, medical supplies, and food items.
The timing of this military surge has drawn attention due to recent comments from abroad. Former US President Donald Trump, on his Truth Social platform, recently threatened that the US could “immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria,” and even consider going into the country “guns-a-blazing” to wipe out Islamic terrorists over allegations of killing Christians.
While the Nigerian government has stated it is managing the diplomatic tension, the military’s robust and publicised actions demonstrate a clear intent to assert control and showcase its capacity to address security threats internally.
Air Commodore Ejodame stated that these coordinated air and ground operations reflect a sustained counter-terrorism effort under the directives of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke.
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